HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

House of Commons: Energy

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what assessment the House of Commons Commission has made of the potential contribution of use of  (a) micro-generation and  (b) combined heat and power to improving the energy efficiency of the House of Commons part of the parliamentary estate; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: Studies have been undertaken to assess the potential for micro-generation and combined heat and power to improve energy efficiency across the estate. These include assessments of the potential for solar, wind and tidal power generation, borehole water cooling and combined heat, power and cooling for the Palace of Westminster. Solar, wind and tidal power generation for the Palace have, at this stage, been discounted due mainly to heritage restrictions and unfavourable local conditions. Combined heat, power and cooling is now being subjected to an in-depth feasibility study the outcome of which will determine a way forward.
	Portcullis House operates a borehole water cooling system.
	Additional opportunities are also being reviewed including connection of northern outbuildings to the Whitehall District Heating (combined heat and power) System and resolving the long-standing problems preventing the use of the existing combined heat and power plant in Norman Shaw South.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Subsidies

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what appeals process may be invoked by farmers who face deductions from their single farm payments for  (a) cattle passport contraventions,  (b) breaches of the conditions of the Rural Stewardship Scheme and  (c) other matters.

Jim Fitzpatrick: A farmer facing a deduction from their Single Payment Scheme claim may appeal against the decision to apply the reductions under the Single Payment Scheme Appeal Procedure. Full details of this procedure can be found on the RPA website
	www.rpa.gov.uk

Animals: Transport

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking at EU level to seek to improve welfare standards for animals in transit in the EU.

Jim Fitzpatrick: At the 7 September EU Agriculture Council meeting, the Secretary of State expressed concern at the unnecessarily long journeys some animals undertake within Europe, particularly to slaughter. He urged the European Commission to give due consideration to shorter journey times and improved enforcement of welfare in transport rules when putting forward proposals to review the legislation. Commission proposals for an early review have not come forward this year as expected. It is not now known when new proposals may be drawn up although the Commission is obliged to review the Regulation by 2011.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what culling methods have been used in trials for culling tuberculosis-infected badgers; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Gassing of badgers in setts with hydrogen cyanide gas was carried out between 1975-1982, when it was discontinued due to studies which showed it to be inhumane. Trapping and shooting has been the culling method used since, during the clean ring (1982-1986) and interim (1986-1997) control strategies and the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (1998-2005). Both tuberculosis-infected and uninfected badgers were removed in all of these operations. It was also the manner of culling used during the live test trial (1994-1996), which initially aimed to remove individual infected badgers that tested positive to a diagnostic test (known as the Brock Elisa test). However, due to the poor performance of the test in detecting infected badgers, the trial was suspended in 1996.

Business: Rural Areas

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09 on the Rural Development Programme for Business Support Scheme; and how many businesses received assistance from the scheme in each of those years.

Dan Norris: The information requested is detailed in the following table(1):
	(1)( )These figures relate to activity supported under Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) business support measures as defined under Solutions for Business. RDPE is part of Solutions for Business, the Government's package of publicly funded business support designed to help companies start and grow.
	
		
			   Spend (£ million)  Number of businesses supported 
			 2007-08 13 4,555 
			 2008-09 12.5 8,058

Charities

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what grants his Department made to charitable organisations in each of the last five years.

Dan Norris: DEFRA does not hold this information centrally. The Department's grant programmes are administered by a wide range of delivery bodies. To collect the information centrally would incur disproportionate cost.

Commission for Rural Communities: Finance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much grant in aid was provided by his Department to the Commission for Rural Communities in each of the last three years.

Dan Norris: The grant in aid provided by DEFRA to the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) in each of the last three financial years was as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Revenue  Capitalised  Total grant-in-aid 
			 2008-09 6,734,000 5,000 6,739,000 
			 2007-08 8,902,000 7,000 8,909,000 
			 2006-07 8,511,000 88,000 8,599,000 
			  Source:  CRC Annual Report 2008-09 and CRC Annual Report 2007-08.

Dangerous Dogs Act 1991

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of the measures in the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 on  (a) the prevalence of pit bull terriers and similar breeds and  (b) trends in the number of attacks on humans by dogs in the last 10 years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: No assessment has been made of the effect of the measures in the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 on the prevalence of pit bull terriers and similar breeds and trends in the number of attacks on humans by dogs in the last 10 years. However, following a spate of high profile dog attacks in 2007, DEFRA consulted police forces for their views on the current dangerous dog legislation. Responses indicated that more guidance should be made available to the police. In April of this year, DEFRA made available additional guidance on the law. We also provided the Association of Chief of Police Officers £20,000 towards the training of specialist dog legislation officers.

Departmental Visits Abroad

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department has spent on overnight accommodation for  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials while overseas in each of the last three years.

Dan Norris: From information held centrally, and from April 2006 to 20 October 2009, expenditure on accommodation for officials while overseas is:
	
		
			   £ 
			 April 2006 to March 2007 20,938 
			 April 2007 to March 2008 90,530 
			 April 2008 to March 2009 92,715 
			 April 2009 to 20 October 2009 48,571 
		
	
	Information on expenditure on overnight accommodation for Ministers is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Travel by Ministers and civil servants is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code respectively. The Cabinet Office produces an annual list of overseas travel over £500 undertaken by Ministers. The 2008-09 list was published on 16 July and can be viewed at:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics/ministers/travel_gifts.aspx

Drinking Water: Fluoride

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average level of fluoride ions in parts per million was in water supplied to households by each water company in the latest period for which figures are available.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Water companies have provided sample results giving actual fluoride levels in treated water since 2004 to the Drinking Water Inspectorate. The average levels of fluoride in tap water samples taken in each year from 2004 to 2008 by company are provided below. These data are published on the Drinking Water Inspectorate's website.
	
		
			   Average fluoride in parts per million 
			  Company  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Albion Water 0.04 0.04 0.04 0.02 0.03 
			 Anglian Water 0.36 0.36 0.36 0.38 0.38 
			 Bournemouth and West Hants Water 0.13 0.11 0.12 0.11 0.11 
			 Bristol Water 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.14 0.13 
			 Cambridge Water 0.14 0.11 0.12 0.13 0.13 
			 Cholderton Water 0.09 0.07 0.07 0.06 0.07 
			 Dwr Cymru Welsh Water 0.04 0.04 0.04 0.02 0.01 
			 Dee Valley Water 0.06 0.10 0.07 0.05 0.06 
			 Essex and Suffolk Water 0.29 0.26 0.27 0.27 0.25 
			 Hartlepool Water 1.19 1.13 1.11 1.09 1.04 
			 Northumbrian Water 0.31 0.46 0.47 0.46 0.48 
			 Portsmouth Water 0.10 0.08 0.12 0.14 0.14 
			 Scottish and Southern Energy(1) n/a n/a n/a n/a 0.1 
			 Severn Trent Water 0.35 0.38 0.34 0.36 0.36 
			 South East Water 0.13 0.11 0.13 0.17 0.17 
			 South Staffordshire Water 1.08 1.05 0.99 0.84 0.90 
			 South West Water 0.04 0.04 0.04 0.04 0.04 
			 Southern Water 0.13 0.11 0.11 0.10 0.11 
			 Sutton and East Surrey Water 0.13 0.11 0.13 0.10 0.13 
			 Thames Water 0.18 0.18 0.17 0.16 0.16 
			 United Utilities 0.08 0.08 0.10 0.08 0.06 
			 Veolia Water Central 0.19 0.20 0.19 0.19 0.19 
			 Veolia Water East 0.53 0.60 0.55 0.66 0.55 
			 Veolia Water South East 0.12 0.12 0.11 0.11 0.12 
			 Wessex Water 0.15 0.15 0.14 0.14 0.16 
			 Yorkshire Water 0.09 0.08 0.08 0.07 0.07 
			 (1) Scottish and Southern Energy was a new supplier in 2008

Drinking Water: Fluoride

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many of the sources of water used by water companies contain fluoride ions at a level above one part per million.

Huw Irranca-Davies: In England and Wales, there are a total of 1,692 water supply zones. 18 zones have on average fluoride level greater than one part per million of fluoride (based on data from 2004-08). Of these 18 zones, 10 receive water from artificial fluoridation schemes. Average levels in the remaining eight zones are the result of naturally occurring fluoride in the water sources.
	The map indicates the average level of fluoride in water supply zones in England and Wales. The map is published on the Drinking Water Inspectorate's website and updated annually.

Flood Control

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much each local authority was allocated for flood defence maintenance and upgrading in each year since 1997.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Over the last decade the level of investment in flood defences has increased. In the 2010-11 financial year, a total of £780,000,000 is expected to be spent nationally, in comparison with £600,400,000 in 2007-08, and £310,000,000 in 1997-98.
	Table 1 shows the breakdown of funding allocated to all local authorities from 1996-97 to 2007-08 for flood defences. It is not possible to provide details of what proportion of this is spent on flood defence maintenance and upgrading as this is at the discretion of the local authorities, and information is not supplied in local authority outturns.
	
		
			  Table 1: Funding allocated to local authorities 1996-97 to 2007-08 
			  £ million 
			   Direct Funding to LAs  LA Expenditure( 1)  Capital Grant and SCE(R)( 2)  to LAs and IDBs( 3)  Funding to EA for LAs and IDBs( 2)  Capital Grant to LAs for coastal protection  Total 
			 1996-97 205.2 - - - - 205.2 
			 1997 98 223.3 - - - - 223.3 
			 1998-99 233.2 - - - - 233.2 
			 1999-2000 246.6 - - - - 246.6 
			 2000-01 262.7 - - - - 262.7 
			 2001-02 281.4 - - - - 281.4 
			 2002-03 299.4 - - - - 299.4 
			 2003-04 322.0 - - - - 322.0 
			 2004-05 - 80.3 46.9 - - 127.2 
			 2005-06 - 84.4 79.5 - - 163.9 
			 2006-07 - 84.5 - 12.7 65.7 162.9 
			 2007-08 - 86.0 - 21.2 49.0 156.2 
			 (1) Local authority expenditure is funded from a number of sources including central government grant, council tax and reserves. The primary source is Revenue Support Grant from the Department of Communities and Local Government (CLG). More information is available from the CLG website, including the page on the revenue support grant settlements. (2) Between 2004 and 2006 local authority projects were funded through a mix of direct capital grant and Supported Capital Expenditure (Revenue) (SCE(R)). SCE(R) counted against DEFRA's Departmental Expenditure Limit for the year in which it was approved and supported local authority expenditure in that year. However, the funding resulting from SCE(R) was actually provided to the local authority over several years through Revenue Support Grant from the Department of Communities and Local Government. From 2006-07 onwards the mixture of grant and SCE(R) was replaced by a direct DEFRA grant. (3) We are unable to split this funding further into the level of funding which went to local authorities and that which went to Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs).

Flood Control

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding was allocated to each local authority for flood defences in each year since 1997.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Over the last decade the level of investment in flood defences has increased. In the 2010-11 financial year, a total of £780,000,000 is expected to be spent nationally, in comparison with £600,400,000 in 2007-08, and £310,000,000 in 1997-98.
	Table 1 shows the breakdown of funding allocated to all local authorities from 1996-97 to 2007-08 for flood defences. It is not possible to provide details of funding to each local authority individually.
	Local authority allocation is much higher in 2003-04 and previous years because during this time the Environment Agency was largely funded through levies on local authorities, with DEFRA part-funding capital improvement projects and national initiatives such as public awareness campaigns and Catchment Flood Management Plans. Although local authorities still pay levies to the Environment Agency, this form of funding has largely been replaced by direct funding to the Environment Agency from DEFRA, through grant in aid which has increased from £358,600,00 in 2004-05 to £435,900,000 in 2007-08.
	
		
			  Table 1: Funding allocated to local authorities 1996-97 to 2007-08 
			  £ million 
			   Direct funding to LAs  LA expenditure( 1)  Capital Grant and SCE(R)( 2)  to LAs and IDBs( 3)  Funding to EA for LAs and IDBs( 2)  Capital Grant to LAs for coastal protection  Total 
			 1996-97 205.2 - - - - 205.2 
			 1997-98 223.3 - - - - 223.3 
			 1998-99 233.2 - - - - 233.2 
			 1999-2000 246.6 - - - - 246.6 
			 2000-01 262.7 - - - - 262.7 
			 2001-02 281.4 - - - - 281.4 
			 2002-03 299.4 - - - - 299.4 
			 2003-04 322.0 - - - - 322.0 
			 2004-05 - 80.3 46.9 - - 127.2 
			 2005-06 - 84.4 79.5 - - 163.9 
			 2006-07 - 84.5 - 12.7 65.7 162.9 
			 2007-08 - 86.0 - 21.2 49.0 156.2 
			 1 Local authority expenditure is funded from a number of sources including central Government grant, council tax and reserves. The primary source is Revenue Support Grant from the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG). More information is available from the CLG website, including the page on the revenue support grant settlements. (2) Between 2004 and 2006 local authority projects were funded through a mix of direct capital grant and Supported Capital Expenditure (Revenue) (SCE(R)). SCE(R) counted against DEFRA's Departmental Expenditure Limit for the year in which it was approved and supported local authority expenditure in that year. However, the funding resulting from SCE(R) was actually provided to the local authority over several years through Revenue Support Grant from CLG. From 2006-07 onwards the mixture of grant and SCE(R) was replaced by a direct DEFRA grant. 3 We are unable to split this funding further into the level of funding which went to local authorities and that which went to Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs).

Floods: West Midlands

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Government have provided towards the maintenance and upgrading of flood defences in  (a) the West Midlands,  (b) Herefordshire and  (c) Worcestershire in each of the last five years.

Huw Irranca-Davies: In total, the Environment Agency Midlands Region has spent £114,260,000 designing and constructing new defences and maintaining existing ones in the West Midlands. Excluding Herefordshire and Worcestershire, £88,930,000 has been spent.
	Major capital schemes at Burton, Cannock, Cheltenham and Kidderminster have reduced flood risk for 8,174 properties in the West Midlands. Significant additional funds have been provided to improve flood modelling, forecasting, warning and incident response.
	In Herefordshire, £7,000,000 has been spent on a new flood defence scheme in Hereford and £6.1 million on maintaining existing flood defences. Expenditure in the area totals £13,100,000 in the last five years.
	In Worcestershire, £2,660,000 has been spent completing the Bewdley defences and £870,000 on new defences at North Littleton. An estimated £8,700,000 has been spent maintaining flood defences, with total expenditure amounting to £12,230,000 over the last five years.

Floods: West Midlands

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government plans to take to prevent wide scale flooding in  (a) the West Midlands,  (b) Herefordshire and  (c) Worcestershire.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Environment Agency has identified projects to reduce the risk of flooding for 11,109 houses in the West Midlands between 2010 and 2020. Excluding planned schemes in Worcestershire and Herefordshire, flood risk reduction is planned for 10,854 houses.
	There will also be continued investment to improve flood modelling, mapping, forecasting and warning. The development and testing of flood response plans will also continue in partnership with local authorities and emergency services.
	In Herefordshire, £150,000 has been identified to raise existing defences at Hampton Bishop. This is in addition to the £1,240,000 maintenance work identified for this year and £990,000 maintenance work identified for 2010-11.
	In Worcestershire, £2,400,000 has been identified to protect 34 houses in Upton upon Severn in 2010-11. £1,000,000 (plus a contribution from Local Levy funding) has been identified to address problems in Childswickham and Wickhamford to protect 50 houses on the Badsy Brook. In Bewdley, £400,000 has been identified to protect 100 houses at the Quayside and in Worcester £100,000 has been identified to reduce flood risk to 71 houses on the Barbourne Brook.

Lighting: EU Law

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Wells (Mr. Heathcoat-Amory) of 26 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 48-49W, on lighting, what the title is of the implementing measure agreed by EU member state experts in December 2008; if he will place in the Library a copy of the measure adopted by the European Parliament and the European Council; what steps have been taken to implement the measure in UK law; and if he will make a statement.

Dan Norris: EC Regulation 244/2009 implementing Directive 2005/32/EC with regard to ecodesign requirements for non-directional household lamps entered into force in April 2009. A copy will be placed in the Library.
	As an EC regulation it required no transposition into UK law. Enforcement of this regulation lies within the responsibility of the Secretary of State in accordance with the Ecodesign for Energy-Using Products (Amendment) Regulations 2009 (SI 2009 No. 2560).

Local Government Services

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his Department's policy is on participating in the Total Place initiative with local councils.

Dan Norris: Total Place is a joint initiative challenging central Government and local areas to work together to find better ways to achieve outcomes. Members of DEFRA's management board are representing central Government in the pilot projects in Birmingham, central Bedfordshire and Luton, and Kent.

Origin Marking: Israel

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 20 July 2009,  Official Report, columns 956-57W, on Israel: imports, 
	(1)  for what reason no reference was made to the planned public consultation on the labelling of produce from the occupied Palestinian territories in the letter dated 13 October 2009 to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak, ref: MC126368/MA;
	(2)  when he expects the draft voluntary guidance on origin labelling of produce from the occupied Palestinian territories to be placed on his Department's website.

Jim Fitzpatrick: DEFRA still intends to hold a consultation about the terms of the voluntary guidance referred to by my hon. Friend. The Government are still carefully considering the arrangements for consultation, and what guidance might be placed on DEFRA's website.

Palm Oil

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on how many occasions the Cabinet discussed palm oil since 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Dan Norris: The minutes of Cabinet meetings are confidential. Ministers and Departments are working together to advance the sustainable production and consumption of palm oil, including through engagement with businesses, NGOs, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil and other governments.

Palm Oil

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  whether his Department was represented at the most recent Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil meeting; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  when he last discussed the use of sustainable palm oil with  (a) Ministerial colleagues,  (b) representatives of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil,  (c) representatives of the palm oil industry,  (d) representatives of environmental non governmental organisations and  (e) officials of other Government departments; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what steps his Department is taking to support the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil; and if he will make a statement.

Dan Norris: The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) annual meeting which took place from 2-4 November was attended by a Government official from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) posted to the South East Asia region. FCO officials work closely with counterparts in the UK to represent wider government interests and to keep policy makers informed of relevant developments abroad.
	In the last month, Ministers from DEFRA and the Department of Energy and Climate Change met with UK based businesses that are members of the RSPO, and with international NGOs on forestry and palm oil. Engagement with these groups in the UK and internationally, including with other Governments, will continue as the UK Government work to support sustainable production and consumption of palm oil. This includes funding a project to help the RSPO secretariat strengthen and expand its certification.

Renewable Energy: Fuel Oil

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his Department's policy is on the use of recovered fuel oil as a substitute for the use of fossil fuels.

Dan Norris: DEFRA's policies on waste oils and recovering energy from waste are set out in Waste Strategy for England 2007. This Department does not have a specific policy on the use of recovered fuel oil.

Renewable Energy: Fuel Oil

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of plants compliant with the Waste Incineration Directive can accept recycled fuel oil as a fuel.

Dan Norris: In England and Wales, six out of 126 plants regulated by the Environment Agency, or 5 per cent. of Waste Incineration Directive (WID) compliant Plants, are permitted to receive recovered fuel oil (RFO) for use as a fuel. The plants using RFO are: four sewage sludge incinerators, one clinical waste incinerator and one hazardous waste incinerator. RFO is used usually as a support fuel to maintain furnace temperatures if waste burning does not remain self-sufficient. It would be very unusual for any of these plants to continue to burn RFO for prolonged periods.

Water

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the improvements to  (a) lakes,  (b) estuaries and  (c) coastal waters required by the draft Regional Management Plans; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Environment Agency submitted its proposed final River Basin Management Plans to DEFRA on 22 September and they are available on its website.
	DEFRA is currently in the process of considering its proposals and the final plans are due to be published by 22 December 2009, as set out in the Water Framework Directive.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Aviation

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many first-class flights were taken by each Minister in his Department in 2008-09; and what the  (a) origin,  (b) destination and  (c) cost was of each such flight.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office does not separately record journey information and expenditure on first class flights. It is Scotland Office policy not to use first class air travel. All air travel is undertaken by the most efficient and cost-effective way, in accordance with the Ministerial Code, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

Departmental Postal Services

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland with which providers his Department held contracts to provide postal services  (a) in 2007,  (b) in 2008,  (c) between 1 January 2009 and 1 July 2009 and  (d) after 1 July 2009.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office has contracts in place with Royal Mail for a range of postal services. These arrangements have been in place since 2007. The services are subject to annual renewal.

Departmental Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many miles  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department and its predecessor travelled by (i) car, (ii) rail and (iii) air on Government business in each year since 1997.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. The Office does not hold the information requested.

PRIME MINISTER

Ministers: Taxation

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister whether a member of the Government is required to be a UK resident for tax purposes.

Gordon Brown: Ministers are required to handle their financial interests in accordance with the requirements of the "Ministerial Code".

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Homeworking

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff of his Department have been authorised to work from home in the last 12 months.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office enables staff to work from home when circumstances permit and with prior agreement from their local management. Details are not held centrally.

EU Grants and Loans

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  how many applications for EU funding submitted in respect of projects based in Northern Ireland there were in each year since 2005; and how much EU funding was allocated to such projects in each such year;
	(2)  how much additional funding the EU allocated in respect of Northern Ireland other than its planned allocation in each financial year since 2005.

Paul Goggins: These are matters for the Northern Ireland Administration.

Firearms: Licensing

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applications there have been for  (a) new and  (b) renewal of firearms certificates in Northern Ireland in each year since 2005.

Paul Goggins: That is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. I have asked him to reply directly to the hon. Member and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Offensive Weapons

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many offences involving a knife in Northern Ireland resulted in convictions in each year since 2005.

Paul Goggins: The information is not available in the format requested as it is not possible to separately identify the number of convictions for certain offences, for example murder in which a knife was involved. It is only possible to provide conviction statistics for those offences which, in their definition, refer to an "offensive weapon" (of which knives will be one sub-category) or "article with blade or point".
	These are:
	armed with offensive weapon with intent to commit offence;
	possessing offensive weapon in public place;
	possessing article with blade or point in public place;
	possessing article with blade or point on school premises;
	possessing offensive weapon on school premises.
	There were 209 such convictions in 2005 and 242 in 2006 (the latest year for which figures are available). Data are collated on the principal offence rule; so only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.

Police

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the content was of  (a) correspondence sent by and  (b) other communications made by him to the First and Deputy First Ministers of the Northern Ireland Executive since 1 October 2009 on issues related to policing and justice in Northern Ireland; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each such communication.

Shaun Woodward: The Secretary of State has continued to meet and engage regularly with the First and Deputy First Minister and other party leaders in Northern Ireland, on a range of financial and other matters relating to policing and justice. A copy of a letter sent by the Prime Minister on 21 October has been placed in the Library.

Police

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the planned number of police officers in Northern Ireland for 2010-11.

Paul Goggins: Decisions on force complement in the PSNI have been guided in recent years by Government policy (in line with the recommendation of the Patten report) that there should be an establishment of 7,500 regular officers. In coming years the Chief Constable will have greater flexibility around the number of officers in PSNI, and the establishment size will be an operational matter for the Chief Constable. I have asked him to reply directly to the hon. Member on this point, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Police

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many police officers there were in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years.

Paul Goggins: That is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. I have asked him to reply directly to the hon. Member, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Police: Devolution

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what costed proposals he has received from the Northern Ireland Executive on the devolution of powers for criminal justice and policing to the Northern Ireland Assembly since 1 September 2009; and if he will publish the proposals.

Shaun Woodward: The Government have not received any costed proposals from the Northern Ireland Executive since 1 September 2009.

Police: Devolution

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has agreed with the First and Deputy First Ministers of the Northern Ireland Executive a date for the proposed devolution of powers for criminal justice and policing matters to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Paul Goggins: The Government believe that the time is right for the Northern Ireland Assembly to complete the process of devolution by requesting the transfer of policing and justice powers. However, the actual timing of devolution remains for the Assembly itself to decide upon, as set out in section 4 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998. Progress continues to be made towards the completion of devolution and I believe that the financial package set out by the Prime Minister should enable the parties to move forward with the process.

Presbyterian Mutual Society

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the conclusions of the Financial Services Authority on the conduct of the Presbyterian Mutual Society in undertaking regulated activities.

Shaun Woodward: The Financial Services Authority (FSA) indicated in a statement on 9 April 2009 that the Presbyterian Mutual Society
	"...was conducting regulated activities without the necessary authorisation or exemption. However, on the basis of the information currently available to us, and applying the criteria in the Code for Crown Prosecutors, we have decided that it would not be right for us to take a case against any of those involved in running the PMS. However, we remain in touch with the administrator and, if further information comes to light relating to the issues we have investigated, we will look into it."
	As the FSA is an independent non-governmental body given statutory powers to make such decisions by the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, the Government do not normally offer comment on the conclusions it reaches on individual investigations, but we shall take account of its report as we take forward our work on the Presbyterian Mutual Society.

Presbyterian Mutual Society

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assistance his Department has provided to the Prime Minister's working group on the Presbyterian Mutual Society.

Shaun Woodward: The Ministerial Working Group, chaired by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, expects to produce a draft report to the Prime Minister in the coming weeks. I have attended both meetings of this group which have taken place to date, and have discussed the matter with Treasury colleagues on a number of separate occasions. Officials from my Department continue to play a full part in the work being undertaken by the officials' working group, alongside officials from Her Majesty's Treasury and the relevant Northern Ireland Executive departments.

Presbyterian Mutual Society

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on steps to assist members of the Presbyterian Mutual Society.

Shaun Woodward: I have had a number of recent discussions with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, who chairs the Ministerial Working Group set up by the Prime Minister to examine this issue.

Prostitution

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been  (a) arrested,  (b) prosecuted and  (c) convicted on charges related to vice in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years.

Paul Goggins: Table 1 gives the number of persons arrested for vice-related offences for the calendar years 2007-09 (to date). Table 2 documents the number prosecuted and number subsequently convicted for the calendar years 2004-06 (the latest available year).
	It is not possible to reconcile arrest data directly with prosecution and conviction data, as PSNI arrest data denote the offence as it has been initially recorded and this may differ from the offence for which a suspect is subsequently proceeded against.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of persons arrested for vice-related offences 2007-09 (to date) 
			   Number of persons arrested 
			 2007 8 
			 2008 13 
			 2009 9 
			  Note: Arrests relate to the offences 'brothel keeping', 'causing or inciting child prostitution or pornography', 'trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation' and 'controlling prostitution for gain'.  Source: PSNI 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number prosecuted and convicted for vice-related offences 2004-06 
			   Prosecutions  Convictions 
			 2004(1) 2 2 
			 2005(2) 3 3 
			 2006 0 0 
			 (1) One prosecution was for the offence 'brothel keeping' and one for prostitute-soliciting'. (2) All three prosecutions were for the offence of 'brothel keeping'.  Note: Prosecutions and convictions are collated on the principal offence rule; so only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.  Source: NIO

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Departmental Freedom of Information

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many staff in the Government Equalities Office were employed on the management of freedom of information requests submitted to her Department in each year since 2005; and how much that office spent on the management of such requests in each such year.

Michael Jabez Foster: It is not possible to calculate exact costs as management of freedom of information requests forms only part of the roles of:
	one admin officer
	one senior executive officer
	one corporate services manager
	policy and other staff dealing with specific requests
	a small part of the time of one legal adviser.

Departmental Home Working

David Simpson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many staff of the Government Equalities Office have been authorised to work from home in the last 12 months.

Michael Jabez Foster: The Government Equalities Office (GEO) operates a flexible working policy which is available to all staff. Staff are allowed to work from home, subject to line management agreement based on business need, however central records on the amount of time worked from home are not held.

Departmental Travel

Justine Greening: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how much her Office spent on  (a) car hire,  (b) train travel,  (c) air travel,  (d) hotels and  (e) restaurant meals for (i) Ministers and (ii) staff in her Office since its inception.

Michael Jabez Foster: The Government Equalities Office was created on 12 October 2007. Since then, the following totals have been incurred on travel related expenditure:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Ministers  GEO staff 
			  2007-08 (12 October 2007-31 March 2008)   
			 Car hire 6,343 - 
			 Train travel - 1,768 
			 Eurostar - 167 
			 Air travel - 5,785 
			 Hotels/meals(1) - 4,817 
			 Total 6,343 12,537 
			
			  2008-09   
			 Car hire 97,241 53 
			 Train travel 546 20,189 
			 Eurostar 453 4,939 
			 Air travel 378 18,292 
			 Hotels/meals(1) 900 7,334 
			 Total 99,518 50,807 
			
			  2009-10( 1)   
			 Car hire 2,710 456 
			 Train travel - 8,617 
			 Eurostar - 2,522 
			 Air travel 6,945 6,976 
			 Hotels/meals(1) 910 4,329 
			 Total 10,565 22,900 
			 (1) We are unable to separate the figures for hotel charges, meals and incidentals as these are accounted for collectively using the Department's on-line travel and subsistence claiming system or via a government procurement (Visa) card.  Note: Figures current to 31 August 2009.

OLYMPICS

Legacy: North-West

Andrew Miller: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what assessment she has made of the legacy for the North West of the London 2012 Olympics; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: The North West will gain from sporting, commercial and other opportunities created by the London 2012 Games.
	For example, Old Trafford will host rounds of the football competition in 2012 and the Australian Olympic swimming team, the Thailand Olympic and Paralympic team and the Oceania National Olympic Committees have all signed agreements to base their pre-Games training camps in the North West. 13 cultural projects in the North West have also been awarded the Inspire Mark and 5,018 businesses in the North West are registered on CompeteFor.

Construction Programme

Ann Winterton: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what recent progress has been made on the London 2012 Olympics construction programme.

Tessa Jowell: Excellent progress is being made on the Olympic Delivery Authority's construction programme, both at the Olympic Park in East London, and other venues around the country. The Queen visited the site last week to witness the transformation.
	Order books are being filled all around the country, with 98 per cent. of construction contracts having gone to UK companies.
	The programme is on time and within budget.

Contracts: Hertfordshire

Anne Main: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many contracts related to the London 2012 Olympics have been awarded to businesses and organisation in  (a) St Albans constituency and  (b) Hertfordshire; and what the monetary value of such contracts is.

Tessa Jowell: To the end of September 2009, 32 suppliers registered in Hertfordshire had been awarded contracts by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), five of these businesses were registered in St. Albans. The total spend to date for these contracts stands at £54,225,666.
	These figures do not include those contracts awarded to sub-contractors based in Hertfordshire. Many other companies will have won work from 2012 projects further down the supply chain. The ODA has this month produced a map showing how companies across the UK are helping to deliver the games, details of which are available on the London 2012 website.

Departmental Telephone Services

Mark Oaten: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many helplines the Government Olympic Executive operates; how much revenue it has received from the operation of such helplines in each of the last three years; if she will consider the merits of securing the accreditation of such helplines to The Helplines Association's quality standard; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: The Government Olympic Executive does not operate any helplines.

Members: Correspondence

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister for the Olympics when she plans to reply to Question 291993 on acquisition of cut Christmas trees, tabled on 9 October 2009.

Tessa Jowell: I replied to the hon. Member's question on 4 November 2009,  Official Report, column 994W.

Olympic and Paralympic Games 2012

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what the reasons are for the increase in the estimated cost to the public purse of hosting the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games between  (a) March 2007 and  (b) July 2009.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 6 July 2009
	The forecast final cost of the programme remains within the £9.325 billion budget announced in March 2007.

Olympic Games 2012: Construction

Pete Wishart: To ask the Minister for the Olympics pursuant to the answer of 29 October 2009,  Official Report, columns 517-18W, on the Olympic Games: construction, what the value was of the contracts awarded to firms in  (a) Scotland,  (b) Wales,  (c) Northern Ireland,  (d) England and  (e) elsewhere.

Tessa Jowell: The Olympic Delivery Authority is compiling the requested information. I will write to the hon. Member upon receipt, and I will place a copy in the Libraries of both Houses.

Olympic Games 2012: Contracts

Tom Clarke: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what proportion of contracts for the London 2012 Olympics have been awarded to companies based outside London; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: To date the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has directly awarded contracts to over 1,000 suppliers in the UK, 46 per cent. of these are businesses registered outside of London. Many more businesses are helping to deliver the Games in the supply chains of the ODA's contractors: the ODA has this month produced a map showing how companies across the UK are contributing to the Games, details of which are available on the London 2012 website. Businesses interested in supplying the Games should register on CompeteFor, the electronic brokerage service for Games-related contracts, to date over 4,300 contracts have been made accessible in this way.

Olympic Games 2012: Countries

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what her most recent estimate is of the number of nations that will compete in the London 2012  (a) Olympic and  (b) Paralympic Games.

Tessa Jowell: Today there are 205 National Olympic Committees (NOC). 204 NOCs were represented at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, which is the highest number of NOCs ever to take part in an Olympic Games.
	There are currently 162 National Paralympic Committees (NPC). 146 nations took part in the 2008 Beijing Paralympics.

Olympic Games 2012: Finance

Ben Wallace: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what her most recent estimate is of the contribution from the Exchequer to the costs of the London 2012 Olympics.

Tessa Jowell: Chapter 20 of the comprehensive spending review (CSR) White Paper, published on 9 October 2007, announced total grant in aid (within the £9.325 billion) from Government of £1,559/£1,104/£1,050 million in 2008-09 to 2010-11. The distribution of the remaining Government contribution (within the £9.325 billion) for 2011-12 to 2013-14 will be confirmed in subsequent spending reviews. The balance of the funding requirement will be met, as announced in March 2007, by contributions from the Mayor of London (GLA and LDA); and from the Lottery.
	Details of progress across the Olympic programme, and sources of funding, can be found in the July 2009 Quarterly Economic Report on the games. The next Quarterly Economic Report on the games will be published later this month.

Olympic Games 2012: Land

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what her most recent estimate is of the land acquisition and disturbance compensation costs incurred by the London Development Agency on the Olympic Park.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 29 October 2009
	The latest London Development Agency (LDA) land commitments budget was discussed by the LDA Board on 16 September 2009. I am arranging for copies of the minutes of that meeting to be deposited in the House Libraries. The minutes can also be found on the LDA website:
	http://www.lda.gov.uk/upload/pdf/Public_Item_02_1_ Olympic_Land_commitments_ and_revised_budget_2009_10.pdf
	The funding for LDA Olympic land commitments is not part of the £9.325 billion public sector funding package for the games but has always been self-funded expenditure.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Inbound Tourists

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of inbound tourists in the latest period for which figures are available.

Margaret Hodge: In the three months to August 2009 (the latest period for which figures are available), there were 7.7 million visits to the UK, an increase of 3 per cent. when compared with the previous three months, and a decrease of 5 per cent. when compared with the three months to August 2008.
	Expenditure by overseas visitors in the three months to August 2009 was £4.1 billion which increased by 1 per cent. when compared with the previous three months and increased by 2 per cent. when compared with the three months to August 2008.

Regional Television News

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of the level of provision of regional television news programmes.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government assessed the level and importance of regional news on television during the development of the Digital Britain White Paper published in June 2009, which was informed by Ofcom's second public broadcasting review and statement on short term regulatory decisions. The Government propose to deliver independently funded news consortia on a pilot basis to start with to help secure the plurality of nations, local and regional news.

Library Services

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he plans to publish his Department's report on the modernisation of library services.

Margaret Hodge: We plan to publish the library report as a consultation document very soon. We are grateful for the work of the Library Review Project Board and the Advisory Council on Libraries, which provides a good foundation for further discussion of key issues and concerns. I now want to consult on these issues, with a view to publishing a response and proposals in the spring.

BBC Trust

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations he has received on the future of the BBC Trust; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: I regularly receive representations on all aspects of the BBC, including the BBC Trust. I have already said that I have concerns about the Corporation's regulatory structure and I am clear that this must be a key issue for the next Charter review.

Arts Council of England: Internet

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many page hits have been recorded by the  (a) Arts Council England and  (b) British Film Council website in each year since their creation.

Margaret Hodge: The information is as follows:
	 (a) Arts Council England have supplied the data below. The figures from the 2009 server log are not yet available.
	
		
			   Hits per year 
			 2004 25,961,462 
			 2005 40,205,728 
			 2006 47,773,873 
			 2007 54,871,141 
			 2008 96,473,086 
		
	
	(b) The UK Film Council have supplied the data below. They undertook a major re-development of their website with a new service provider which went live in January 2008. They have not kept statistics related to the former website and service provider prior to this date.
	
		
			   Hits per year 
			 2008 26,964,428 
			 2009 (to date) 23,553,089

Arts: Finance

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to maintain levels of funding for the arts during the recession.

Margaret Hodge: Government continue to provide strong financial support to the arts throughout the recession. We are investing nearly £450 million in the arts this year through Arts Council England. This represents a real-terms increase of 83 per cent. since 1997. This will rise to £463 million in 2010-11.
	Arts Council England have made a swift and innovative response to the economic situation by introducing the sustain scheme. This is providing an additional £40 million to enable arts organisations to continue to provide high quality artistic programmes despite the current economic situation.

Arts: Young People

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department has spent on arts bursary awards for people aged under 25 in each of the last five years.

Margaret Hodge: The Government support awards for young people through the Arts Council and their Art Award scheme. This scheme enables young people aged 11 to 25 to develop their creative skills. 22,000 young people have gained an Art Award since the qualification began in 2005. The scheme is growing quickly in popularity with almost 13,000 awards gained in this calendar year.
	Since its inception in 2005, Arts Council England has spent the following on Art Awards:
	
		
			  Financial year  Total (£) 
			 2005-06 350,000 
			 2006-07 550,000 
			 2007-08 550,000 
			 2008-09 700,000 
			 2009-10 772,000

Broadband

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of households in the United Kingdom have access to high-speed broadband internet.

Stephen Timms: I have been asked to reply.
	While there is currently no overall percentage figure on the number of households in the United Kingdom that have access to high speed broadband internet, approximately 12 million households have connection to fast broadband via Virgin Media's cable network. This covers approximately 50 per cent. of all UK households. BT announced its plans to invest £1.5 billion in a fibre-based super-fast broadband network. They plan to have the service available to one million households by March 2010 and the service should be available to around 40 per cent. of the UK's homes and businesses by 2012. They are currently rolling out super-fast broadband to 10,000 homes in Ebbsfleet and have a 40Mbps service pilot scheme to 15,000 homes in Muswell Hill and Whitchurch.
	Other high speed broadband developments include H20's Fibrecity scheme to 88,000 homes in Bournemouth and Dundee and Redstone's scheme serving 5,000 homes in Belfast.

Correspondence Management Unit

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on employing an independent consultant to review and report on the Correspondence Management Unit in his Department in September 2009.

Ben Bradshaw: Over the summer the Department commissioned an independent consultant to look into a range of issues across the Department including the handling of correspondence.
	The cost of this consultancy, at a discounted Government rate, was £9,639.60.

Culture

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department has spent on the UK City of Culture programme in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: In the last 12 months, my Department has spent £55,690 on the UK City of Culture programme. The programme is intended to encourage bidding cities to work within existing resources and budgets. DCMS funding has therefore been used to support bidding cities so to minimise their local expenditure. This money has been spent on paying expert assessors who work with bidding cities and on hosting events where cities can learn from the success of Liverpool as the European Capital of Culture.

Licensing Act 2003

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what timetable he has set for a public consultation on exemptions from the provisions of the Licensing Act 2003 for low risk live entertainment.

Gerry Sutcliffe: We hope to publish the consultation this year and will consult for the usual 12-week period.

Lithuania

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what official visits he has made to the European Capital of Culture in 2009; and at what cost to the public purse.

Ben Bradshaw: None.

National Heritage: Expenditure

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department has spent on its aims related to heritage  (a) in cash terms,  (b) in real terms and  (c) as a percentage of its annual expenditure in each year since 1997.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 26 October 2009
	 The table was calculated from published outturn figures:
	
		
			  FY ending 31 March  Actual cost (£ million)  Cost in real terms( 1)   (£ million)  Percentage of annual DCMS voted spend excluding BBC 
			 1997-98 398.1 517.8 45 
			 1998-99 377.9 481.3 43 
			 1999-2000 390.4 487.7 41 
			 2000-01 404.3 498.4 41 
			 2001-02 428.9 517.2 40 
			 2002-03 452.8 529.0 39 
			 2003-04 483.4 549.3 27 
			 2004-05 505.9 559.3 37 
			 2005-06 528.9 574.0 36 
			 2006-07 568.1 598.9 34 
			 2007-08 614.9 629.9 33 
			 2008-09 640.8 640.8 29 
			 (1) Costs in 2008-09 prices. Calculated using GDP deflators 
		
	
	The table shows that spend on heritage matters has increased by more than £120 million in real terms since 1997. This spend is primarily attributable to-Churches Conservation Trust, CABE, Chatham Historic Dockyard, Greenwich Naval College, The Royal Parks, Occupied Royal Palaces, Historic Royal Palaces, Listed Places of Worship, Memorial Grant Scheme, National Heritage Memorial Fund, English Heritage, Museums and Galleries and Renaissance in the Regions.
	It should be noted that the percentage decrease in spend on Heritage as a proportion of DCMS voted spend in 2003-04 reflects one-off additional funding for the transfer of pension costs across DCMS sectors. As an administrative cost, this is included in the total spend but excluded from the proportion of that total considered here as 'aim-related' Heritage expenditure.
	The above data have been drawn from the published DCMS Appropriation accounts and resource accounts, the accounts are audited by NAO.

Ofcom: Internet

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many page hits have been recorded by the Ofcom website in each year since its creation.

Margaret Hodge: The running and maintenance of Ofcom's website is the responsibility of Ofcom, who operates independently of Government.
	I have therefore asked Ofcom's chief executive to consider the question raised by the hon. Member and to write to him direct.
	Copies of the reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Purton Hulks

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with English Heritage on the designation of the Purton Hulks site as an ancient monument since July 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: I discussed the protection and conservation of the Purton Hulks at a meeting with Baroness Andrews and Simon Thurley of English Heritage on 13 October. I have also visited the site where the Friends of Purton presented me with a petition and previous correspondence.
	English Heritage is still gathering information to help determine the significance of the Purton Hulks in a national context, and to inform its advice to the Secretary of State on their suitability for designation as a scheduled monument. It is also working with Natural England to explore how natural heritage designations applying to the site, including its status as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, might best take account of its cultural value.
	A further option would be for the local authority to purchase the land under a compulsory purchase order.

RMS Titanic

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will bring forward proposals to mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 3 November 2009
	 The Department is aware of the public interest in the 2012 centenary of the sinking of RMS Titanic. Some national and regional museums and heritage centres have plans to mark the centenary, including the National Maritime Museum. Southampton, where RMS Titanic embarked, and Belfast, where she was built, also plan to mark the centenary. In 2008 the Heritage Lottery Fund awarded a grant of £50,000 to Northern Ireland Science Park (NISP) for a project based at the Titanic's Dock and Pump-House in Belfast and also awarded a grant of £174,500 to National Museums Northern Ireland (Ulster Folk and Transport Museum)-towards the development of its collection "Titanic: Built in Belfast".

Sports: Internet

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many page hits have been recorded by the  (a) Sports England,  (b) UK Sport,  (c) Football Foundation and  (d) Youth Sport Trust website in each year since their creation.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information is as follows:
	 (a) Sport England  (b) UK Sport and  (c) the Football Foundation have advised that they hold data on the annual number of page hits to each of their websites for the following years, as shown in the table:
	
		
			   Annual number of page hits 
			  Organisation  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 Sport England - 5,001,019 7,343,919 (1)5,065,702 
			 UK Sport (2)1,147,092 3,547,455 4,968,305 (3)5,183,788 
			 The Football Foundation - 6,757,949 (4)24,888,355 (5)38,613,738 
			 (1) Figures relevant to end October 2009. (2) Figures represent data captured between July and December 2006. (3) Figures represent data captured up to 5 November 2009. (4) Figures for the Football Foundation website increased dramatically when in September 2007 the new website was launched to allow applicants to apply for grants on-line. (5) These figures are predicted based on data capture to date. 
		
	
	 (d) The Youth Sport Trust have advised that from 2007 they introduced a new data capture system and began to record numbers of visitors to its site, rather than page hits.
	
		
			   Annual number of visitors 
			  Organisation  2006( 1)  2007  2008  2009 
			 The Youth Sport Trust 525,767 362,183 609,426 518,844 
			 (1) Figures for 2006 represent page hits.

Television: North Yorkshire

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations he has received on the reception of analogue television broadcasts in North Yorkshire.

Ben Bradshaw: The hon. Member for Vale of York wrote to my predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Member for Leigh (Andy Burnham), in April this year, on behalf of a constituent, concerning the BBC digital reception in York.
	I am not aware of any other recent representations on the reception of analogue television broadcasts in North Yorkshire.

VisitBritain: Finance

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much Visit Britain has  (a) taken in fees for and  (b) spent on administering each of its quality assessment schemes for accommodation businesses in each of the last five years; and what information his Department has obtained on the additional revenue generated for businesses participating in each of the schemes.

Margaret Hodge: The Quality Schemes are now the responsibility of VisitEngland. VisitEngland was established as a separate body on 1 April 2009 and before that date the quality schemes were the responsibility of VisitBritain.
	The income and costs figures for the Quality Schemes are as follows:
	2005-06-Income £2,681,000, Costs £3,988,000 (Actual)
	2006-07-Income £3,976,000, Costs £3,963,000 (Actual)
	2007-08-Income £4,410,000, Costs £4,254,000 (Actual)
	2008-09-Income £5,003,000, Costs £4,898,000 (Actual)
	2009-10-Income £5,300,000, Costs £5,200,000 (Budget)
	VisitEngland have made no estimate of the additional revenue generated for businesses participating in the schemes.
	The aim of the schemes is to increase the quality of accommodation in England and thus the profitability and strength of the tourism sector.

World Heritage Sites

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support his Department has given to young people's activity connected with UK world heritage sites in the last month; and at what cost to the public purse.

Margaret Hodge: My Department provided £6,000 for a conference to promote the UK-wide World Heritage Site education programme conference-'Making Sense of Our Sites' and a further one-day Youth Summit held at the Dorset and East Devon World Heritage Site in May this year. This education programme aims to engage young people with their World Heritage Site.

World Heritage Sites

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what official visits he has made to each UK world heritage site in the last 12 months.

Ben Bradshaw: I have not visited a UK World Heritage Site in an official capacity since my appointment, but look forward to doing so at the first available opportunity. My predecessor visited the Tower of London World Heritage Site in November last year.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Asylum

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date the requirement for fresh submissions in asylum cases to be dealt with by personal interview in Liverpool will come into force; and whether financial assistance will be provided to asylum seekers for travel to Liverpool for this purpose.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 27 October 2009
	On 14 October, we introduced a requirement for failed asylum seekers to make further submissions about their case in person, bringing the process in line with the process for making initial applications.
	Failed asylum seekers who claimed asylum before 5 March 2007 are required to make any further submissions by appointment and in person at Liverpool Further Submissions Unit. We have been making appointments from 14 October.
	Failed asylum seekers who claimed asylum on or after 5 March 2007 will be required to make further submissions in person at a specified reporting centre in their region.
	We will not make available travel expenses for people to travel to Liverpool to make further submissions as we do not do so for initial applications.

Asylum

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been granted asylum in the UK in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: Information on the number of persons granted asylum at the initial decision stage of their application is available from table 2.2 of the Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 2008. This information excludes persons granted humanitarian protection and discretionary leave, the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions.
	Information on asylum are published annually and quarterly. Annual statistics for 2008 are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html

Asylum

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of persons granted asylum in the UK in each of the last five years were of each nationality.

Phil Woolas: The following table provides the proportion of persons granted asylum at the initial decision stage of their application, as a proportion of all persons granted asylum at their initial stage. This information excludes persons granted humanitarian protection and discretionary leave, the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions.
	Information on asylum is published annually and quarterly. Annual statistics for 2008 are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html
	
		
			  Asylum initial decisions: Cases( 1, 2)  recognised as refugees and granted asylum, excluding dependants, by country of nationality, 2004 to 2008 as a proportion of total cases granted asylum 
			  Percentage of total asylum grants, principal applicants 
			  Country of nationality  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008( 3) 
			 Albania - 0 - 0 - 
			 Macedonia - - - - - 
			 Moldova 0 0 - - 0 
			 Russia 1 1 1 0 0 
			 Serbia and Montenegro(4) 1 0 0 n/a n/a 
			 Turkey 5 2 1 1 0 
			 Ukraine 0 - - - - 
			 EU Accession States(5) 0 - - - - 
			 Other Former USSR 2 1 1 1 1 
			 Other Europe(4) 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total Europe 10 5 2 2 2 
			   
			 Colombia 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Ecuador - 0 - - - 
			 Jamaica 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Other Americas 0 0 0 - 0 
			 Total Americas 1 1 0 0 0 
			   
			 Algeria 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Angola 1 0 0 1 0 
			 Burundi 1 1 0 0 0 
			 Cameroon 1 1 1 1 0 
			 Congo 1 0 0 0 - 
			 Dem. Rep. of Congo 4 3 2 2 1 
			 Eritrea 5 29 36 31 31 
			 Ethiopia 1 1 1 1 0 
			 Gambia - 0 0 0 0 
			 Ghana 0 0 - - - 
			 Ivory Coast 0 1 0 0 - 
			 Kenya 0 0 - 0 0 
			 Liberia 0 0 0 0 - 
			 Libya 1 1 0 0 0 
			 Nigeria 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Rwanda 1 - 0 0 0 
			 Sierra Leone 0 0 - 0 0 
			 Somalia 29 34 30 23 13 
			 Sudan 8 3 1 2 1 
			 Tanzania 0 0 - - - 
			 Uganda 2 1 0 0 0 
			 Zimbabwe 14 4 6 7 14 
			 Other Africa 1 1 0 1 1 
			 Total Africa 71 80 80 69 64 
			   
			 Iran 5 4 4 6 6 
			 Iraq 1 0 1 4 5 
			 Syria 1 1 1 1 0 
			 Other Middle East 1 1 3 3 2 
			 Total Middle East 7 6 9 13 14 
			   
			 Afghanistan 2 2 2 2 3 
			 Bangladesh - 0 0 0 0 
			 China (inc. Taiwan) 1 1 1 2 2 
			 India 0 0 - 0 0 
			 Pakistan 4 2 2 2 2 
			 Sri Lanka 1 0 0 2 4 
			 Vietnam 0 0 0 0 - 
			 Other Asia and Oceania 2 2 2 7 8 
			 Total Asia and Oceania 10 7 7 15 18 
			   
			 Other and not known 0 2 1 1 2 
			   
			 Grand total (percentage) 100 100 100 100 100 
			 n/a = Not applicable (1) Percentages rounded to the nearest 1 ((-) = 0 per cent., (0) = less than 0.5 per cent., but greater than 0 per cent.) and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding. Figures rounded to the nearest five. (2) Initial decisions do not necessarily relate to applications made in the same period and exclude the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions. Figures exclude cases granted humanitarian protection and discretionary leave. (3) Provisional figures (4) Serbia (inc. Kosovo) and Montenegro counted under "Other Europe" from 2007. (5) EU Accession States: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. In 1999 and 2000 it excludes Malta but includes Cyprus (Northern part of).

Asylum

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers were subject to age assessment procedures in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: The number of individuals whose age was officially recorded as "disputed" in the annual UK asylum statistics was as follows:
	
		
			   Age disputed cases 
			 2004 2,345 
			 2005 2,425 
			 2006 2,270 
			 2007 1,915 
			 2008 1,400 
			 These figures will not include all those whose age has been assessed, as we do not record initial "visual" assessments on arrival, either by UKBA staff or social workers assisting them; nor do we record when local authorities conduct age assessments for their own purposes.

Asylum: Children

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unaccompanied asylum-seeking children from each ethnic group in each local authority area were being looked after by local authorities on the latest date for which figures are available.

Phil Woolas: Data on the specific ethnic group of asylum seeking children are not held centrally.

Asylum: Liverpool

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the oral answer of 26 October 2009,  Official Report, column 13, on asylum applications, whether he plans to end the provision of facilities in Liverpool for face-to-face interviews in respect of applications for asylum.

Phil Woolas: With effect from 14 October 2009 Liverpool was re-designated to accept further submissions in person and with face-to-face interviews but will no longer accept initial applications for asylum or conduct face to face screening interviews. There is a transitional arrangement until March 2010, to screen the initial asylum applications for a small number of unaccompanied asylum seeking children.

Borders: Personal Records

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many contracts let by his Department in the last 12 months were related to the e-borders programme; and what the monetary value of each such contract was.

Phil Woolas: In the last 12 months, there have been no new contracts let which relate to the e-Borders programme.

Closed Circuit Television

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the proportion of publicly-owned closed circuit television systems which comply with  (a) relevant British Standards Institute standards and  (b) provide images of a quality suitable for use as evidence in court.

Alan Campbell: None. Compliance with the relevant British Standards Institute standards is a matter for local installers and users of CCTV. The National CCTV Strategy focuses on standards, better training, improved partnership working and more co-ordinated use of technology. We will work with partners at national and local level to ensure that best use is made of CCTV to help prevent and detect crime and to help bring offenders to justice.

Community Resolutions

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many community resolutions have been issued in  (a) Staffordshire and  (b) England since the inception of the scheme.

Alan Campbell: The information requested is not collected centrally. Community resolutions are not an identified method of detection in the police recorded crime statistics collected by the Home Office.

Departmental Advertising

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department spent on advertising  (a) in the printed press,  (b) on television and  (c) on radio in each of the last three years.

Phil Woolas: The following table outlines Home Office spend on advertising in  (a) the printed press,  (b) on television and  (c) on radio in each of the last three years.
	During this time, the advertising addressed the important issues of acquisitive crime reduction, alcohol harm, child protection on the internet, community safety, domestic violence, drug misuse, human trafficking, immigration, knife crime, police community support officers and immigration.
	This advertising spend amounts to less than 1 per cent. of the Home Office overall budget. In order to match resources to priorities we focus on where we will get the most impact and value and where we will deliver the greatest return on investment.
	Recruitment advertising is not done centrally but carried out across the Department and hence spend could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Media  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Press 1,688,416 1,634,210 2,700,226 
			 Television 5,412,325 2,434,300 4,756,502 
			 Radio 3,045,302 2,383,202 1,864,940

Departmental Correspondence

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his Department's policy to use two-sided printing for its correspondence; and whether he has made an estimate of the potential savings in respect of paper use consequent on the implementation of such a policy.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office is working to reduce all forms of waste, in line with the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate targets. Accordingly a wide range of initiatives are currently in place within the Department to minimise the use of paper. Specific examples include: setting printers to print double sided by default, making some Home Office publications available only online and encouraging staff to avoid printing e-mails. Single sided printing may sometimes be appropriate and this is an issue we shall continue to focus on.
	It is not possible to provide estimated savings generated by the adoption of a policy of two sided printing for correspondence, as records on print volumes are not held centrally.

Deportation

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have taken up  (a) facilitated return and  (b) assisted voluntary return in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: The chief executive of the UK Border Agency has provided the Home Affairs Committee with regular updates on the number of foreign nationals removed under the facilitated returns scheme (FRS) since its launch in October 2006.
	Statistics on the number of foreign nationals removed under the Assisted Voluntary Returns programme for the last five years can be found at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html

Deportation: Northern Ireland

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been deported from Northern Ireland in each year since 2005; and for what reasons.

Phil Woolas: Information relating to the number of individuals deported from a specific area within the UK as well as the reason for deportation can be obtained only through the detailed examination of individual case files which would incur a disproportionate cost.
	The chief executive of the UK Border Agency writes to the Home Affairs Committee on a regular basis with the most robust and accurate information on immigration issues. Copies of the letters can found in the Library of the House.

Entry Clearances

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for visas to enter the UK were refused in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: The total number of visa applications refused in each of the last five calendar years is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Applications received  Applications refused  Percentage refused 
			 2004 2,534,532 419,637 17 
			 2005 2,594,849 460,220 18 
			 2006 2,772,599 480,599 17 
			 2007 2,574,225 471,384 18 
			 2008 2,456,903 441,710 18 
			  Note:  The data are unpublished and should be treated as provisional.  Source:  Central Reference System.

Entry Clearances

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate he has made of the number of people resident in  (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford and  (b) the London borough of Bexley who do not have leave to remain in the United Kingdom.

Phil Woolas: The information requested is not available. By its very nature, illegal immigration is exceptionally difficult to quantify and no government has previously been able to produce a definitive figure for the number of people who are in the country illegally.
	By next year, the phased implementation of e-borders will ensure that the vast majority of non-EEA nationals will be counted in and out of the UK, with all such movements being counted by 2014.
	Local immigration teams are being established to serve every community in the UK. Each team will work closely with police, local authorities and many other local partners to target immigration crime, including working to detect and remove those who have overstayed. The local immigration team covering the London borough of Bexley (including Bexleyheath and Crayford) began operating on 14 September 2009.

Entry Clearances: Children

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children were granted a visa to enter the UK in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: The total number of children (i.e. persons aged under 18 on the date of application) granted a visa to enter the UK in any visa category in each of the last five calendar years is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Issued 
			 2004 260,308 
			 2005 287,637 
			 2006 313,836 
			 2007 291,375 
			 2008 274,404 
			  Note:  The data are unpublished and should be treated as provisional.  Source:  Central Reference System.

Entry Clearances: Fees and Charges

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria govern the currency exchange rates used in High Commissions and embassies in relation to fees charged for visas.

Phil Woolas: Visa fees are payable in local currency. The principles for conversion are set by the Consular Fee Regulations (1981) which allow for the rate of exchange to be adjusted in the interests of administrative efficiency. This is mainly to avoid frequent changes in fees, and to help in giving change, and is the agreed way of translating fees set in sterling by Parliament into local currency. The consular rate of exchange is based on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's corporate exchange rate, from which it may vary by up to 10 per cent., and it is kept under regular review to ensure that it stays within the required range.

Entry Clearances: Pakistan

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applicants from Pakistan for family settlement visas have won appeals against refusal which have not yet been implemented.

Phil Woolas: The Visa Section in Islamabad has a total of 1,870 settlement visa cases which require further processing following the allowing of an appeal. There are further cases (less than 20) in the UK Visa Section, which has processed Pakistan settlement visa applications since 1 February 2009.
	Upon notification of the appeal decision, and before the issue of a visa, checks will be made to ensure the applicant still wishes to travel and that there have been no material changes in his circumstances since the original decision.

Forensic Science Service

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions have taken place between the Chief Executive of the Forensic Science Service (FSS) and his Department on the future of the FSS since July 2009.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 27 October 2009
	As shareholder in the FSS Ltd., it is normal practice for the Home Office Minister to hold regular bilateral meetings with the chairman of the FSS (who held the post of executive chairman, covering both the chairman and CEO roles until earlier this month) and the chief executive. They have met once since July.

Forensic Science Service

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases each Forensic Science Service centre dealt with in each of the last five years.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 27 October 2009
	Each of the Forensic Science Service laboratories has dealt with the following number of cases in each of the last five years.
	
		
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Chepstow 7,108 5,995 6,394 6,492 5,721 
			 Chorley 29,890 27,710 23,596 21,766 20,455 
			 Birmingham Priory 12,999 7,014 7,273 6,452 5,710 
			 Wetherby 9,658 9,811 9,644 9,922 10,643 
			 Huntingdon 51,100 60,197 52,675 45,614 40,415 
			 London 16,623 18,087 15,766 12,911 13,279

Immigration

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigration cases had not been resolved on 31 March in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: The information requested is not regularly reported on by the UK Border Agency and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost through the examination of individual case files and records.

Immigration Controls

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many migrants entered the UK under each tier of the points-based immigration system in 2008.

Phil Woolas: The requested information is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Passengers( 1,2)  entering the United Kingdom under the Points Based System, 2008( 3) : United Kingdom 
			   Number of journeys 
			 Total Points Based System (inc dependants)(4) 4,300 
			  O f which:  
			  Main applicants  
			 Tier 1 Highly Skilled Workers 3,220 
			 Tier 2 Skilled Workers General * 
			 Tier 5 Temporary Workers and Youth Mobility 25 
			 Total PBS main applicants 3,240 
			   
			  Dependants  
			 Tier 1 Dependants 1,050 
			 Tier 5 Dependants 5 
			 Total PBS dependants 1,060 
			 (1) Figures rounded to the nearest three significant figures, except for figures less than 1,000, which are rounded to the nearest 5 (- = 0, * = 1 or 2). Figures may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding. (2) Excludes EEA and Swiss nationals. (3) Provisional figures. (4) The phased implementation of Tier 1 of the Points Based System took place between February 2008-June 2008 and Tiers 2 and 5 were implemented in November 2008.  Source: Migration Statistics, Home Office

Immigration Controls: Ports

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of private vehicles entering the UK were searched by UK Border Agency officials at the  (a) Hull,  (b) Dover,  (c) Portsmouth and  (d) Southampton port of entry in the latest period for which figures are available.

Phil Woolas: It is not possible to provide accurate figures relating to the number of private vehicles searched at UK ports. Records relating to vehicle searches do not routinely reflect whether the vehicle is privately owned.
	It is not possible to provide the proportion of vehicles searched by the UK Border Agency at UK ports without excessive bureaucracy and disproportionate cost.

Immigration: Tibet

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals of Tibetan origin have been  (a) granted and  (b) refused (i) asylum and (ii) indefinite leave to remain in each year since 1997.

Phil Woolas: The requested information is unavailable.
	Information on asylum and settlement is published annually and quarterly. Annual statistics for 2008 and statistics for Q2 2009 are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate web site at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html

Robbery

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate he has made of cash-in-transit robberies; and what common characteristics of such crimes his Department has identified.

Alan Campbell: The Government have been working very closely with key stakeholders from the police, security and banking industries, the retail sector and the trade unions on the tackling of cash in transit robberies and through this partnership approach have developed a good understanding of the extent and nature of these offences. Through this work we are aware that there were 1,000 cash in transit attacks in 2008. A wide variety of data are shared among these stakeholders including not only police intelligence but also data from the British Security Industry Association on the number of cash in transit robberies that take place on a daily basis, the location of these offences, the type of premises attacked and the time of day that they take place. These data help to inform the action that needs to be taken by ourselves and our partners to tackle these offences.

Small Retailer Grant Fund

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many grants from the Small Retailer Grant Fund have been  (a) applied for and  (b) awarded since the fund's inception; and what average amount has been awarded.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 28 October 2009
	The grants administrator for the Small Retailers Capital Grants Fund has received 1,851 small grant, and 95 partnership grant, applications.
	The applications are still being assessed and therefore no awards have yet been made.
	Applicants for the fund could receive up to £3,000 for individuals and up to £50,000 for partnerships.

UK Border Agency: Correspondence

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the UK Border Agency plans to respond to the letters of 20 July and 9 September 2009 from the hon. Member for Hammersmith and Fulham sent on behalf of his constituent Mrs Brenda Williams.

Phil Woolas: In response to the letters of 20 July and 9 September 2009, the deputy director for family and economic migration of the London and south east region wrote to the hon. Member on 29 October 2009.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Armed Forces

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of the current roulement were unable to complete pre-deployment training prior to deployment in Afghanistan.

Bob Ainsworth: No armed forces personnel deploy to Afghanistan without being fully trained for the job they are required to do. Pre-deployment training is mandatory for all personnel. The quantity and nature of this training varies between individuals and units depending on existing skill levels and the role to be filled on deployment.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans there are for the deployment of the Gibraltar regiment to Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 2 November 2009
	The primary role of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment is to support the defence and security of Gibraltar. Deployments in support of other tasks have been undertaken by individual volunteers; 15 personnel from the Royal Gibraltar Regiment have deployed on operations in Afghanistan between August 2004 and February 2009. Since then there has been a temporary suspension in volunteers being deployed while we investigated a potential issue with compensation arrangements covering such deployments. The Royal Gibraltar Regiment are entitled to compensation benefits under their own terms and conditions of service including when deployed to Afghanistan. Work has commenced to bring these compensation arrangements in line with the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme through legislation. The temporary suspension has now been lifted.

Armed Forces: Hepatitis C

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of service personnel who contracted hepatitis C virus through treatment in hospital in each of the last 30 years.

Kevan Jones: It is estimated that the number of such cases in the UK in recent years is very small, but definitive information is not held centrally. To provide the information requested would require the identification and examination of the individual medical records of service patients who contracted hepatitis C and had received in-patient treatment in any hospital worldwide during the last 30 years. Such records should only be viewed for non-clinical reasons with the express consent of each individual concerned in order to protect patient confidentiality, and the information could therefore be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Housing

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the London living-out allowance cost his Department in each year from 1992 until the end of that scheme.

Kevan Jones: We have been unable to locate any records corresponding to a "London living-out allowance" and therefore cannot provide the costs to the Department.
	In 1997 living allowances were reviewed and over time have become progressively harmonised. At that time allowances for London consisted of London allowance, lodging allowance and meals out allowance. Costs attributable to each of these allowances are not held centrally and could be obtained only by searches of legacy systems and manual records thus incurring disproportionate costs.
	London allowances currently consist of recruitment and retention allowance (London), for all those service personnel that work within five miles of Charing Cross, and food and incidental allowance for those personnel living in substitute service single accommodation.

Armed Forces: Pensions

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether a retired former regular member of the armed forces who is now a member of the regular reserve force is entitled to additions to the existing pension on completion of additional service.

Kevan Jones: Former members of the regular armed forces who undertake a period of mobilised reserve service are eligible for membership of the Reserve Forces Pension Scheme (RFPS). Under this scheme, all benefits accrued will be paid at age 60 for those who serve until the age of 60. If they leave before aged 60, their benefits will be preserved and paid at age 65.
	Under the RFPS periods of mobilised reserve service cannot be added to an existing armed forces pension.

Armed Forces: Postal Services

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make an assessment of the merits of subsidising overseas postage costs for British forces personnel incurred as a result of the closure of British Forces Post Offices at  (a) SHAPE,  (b) Brussels,  (c) Brunssum,  (d) Ramstein,  (e) Stavanger,  (f) Karup,  (g) Rome,  (h) Milan,  (i) Lisbon,  (j) Valencia and  (k) Norfolk, Virginia; and if he will make a statement.

Kevan Jones: Basic Forces Post Office services will be retained at the locations stated. When families are posted to locations which do not have access to the full Forces Post Office service, their local overseas allowance is calculated to take account of the increased expense of using the international postal service. This also reflects the charges levied by mail order companies posting out to international locations, including the cost of delivery services which provide secure delivery of mail or parcels.

Armed Forces: Secondment

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK military personnel are  (a) on secondment to foreign governments and  (b) on attachment to the armed forces of other countries.

Bill Rammell: The information required is not held in the exact format requested. However, as at 1 November 2009, some 580 military personnel are either on loan, secondment or part of an individual exchange, with other Governments or Armed Forces. An additional 147 military personnel fill Defence Attache posts.

Armed Forces: Training

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) required,  (b) actual and  (c) fit for task strength of each corps of the Army is.

Bill Rammell: In the following table "required strength" and "actual strength" figures are shown as "funded liability" and "trained strength" respectively.
	All figures shown in the table are from the Army Personnel Statistics Report (APSR), published on the Defence Analytical Services and Advice (DASA) website:
	www.dasa.mod.uk
	APSR data are derived from the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) system.
	As at 1 September 2009 figures for the Regular Army are provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Organisation   Funded  l iability  Trained  s trength( 1) 
			 Staff  763 840 
			 Royal Armoured Corps  5,772 5,810 
			 Royal Artillery  7,476 7,570 
			 Royal Engineers  9,529 9,290 
			 Royal Signals  8,319 7,630 
			 Infantry  24,519 23,980 
			 Army Air Corps  2,047 2,120 
			 Royal Army Chaplains Department  148 130 
			 Royal Logistics Corps  15,848 15,190 
			 Royal Army Medical Corps  3,190 2,990 
			 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers  9,820 9,580 
			 Adjutant General's Corps Provost 1,756 1,700 
			  Staff and Personnel Support 3,911 3,530 
			  Military Provost Service 101 110 
			  Educational and Training Services 344 340 
			  Army Legal Services 114 100 
			  Unknown(2) - 60 
			 Royal Army Veterinary Corps  222 310 
			 Small Arms School Corps  151 150 
			 Royal Army Dentistry Corps  436 380 
			 Intelligence Corps  1,648 1,450 
			 Army Physical Training Corps  448 460 
			 Queen Alexandra's Royal Auxiliary Nursing Corps  1,136 840 
			 Corps of Army Music  901 810 
			 (1) Trained Strength figures are rounded. (2) These are trained members of the AGC who, due to data input errors in the JPA system, are not allocated to a sub Regimental Corps. 
		
	
	Not recorded in the table are Long Service List (LSL) soldiers and Gurkhas. LSL are those soldiers who have completed over 22 years' service and have extended their commitment to Army. LSL are treated as a cap badge in their own right for career management purposes. As at 1 September 2009, LSL funded liability was 570, and trained strength 500. Current Gurkha liability is 2,991. Gurkha Trained strength is currently 3,499.
	"Fit for Task" has been interpreted as fit to deploy for any form of duty on deployment, including personnel listed as having limited deployability. Data are calculated from Personnel Unable to Deploy (PUD) which is derived from unit returns and includes Gurkha manpower.
	As at 1 October, Infantry "Fit for Task" strength, excluding 1 Parachute Regiment was 20,340. Royal Armoured Corps "Fit for Task" strength (excluding 1 Royal Tank Regiment (RTR)-element belonging to Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Regiment-and Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment) was 4,328.
	"Fit for Task" figures for other corps are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	As funded liability and trained strength data are collected at different times on a different basis for different purposes to fit for task data, comparisons between the two data sets may be misleading.

Armed Forces: Tribunals

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on which tribunals of inquiry his Department was represented in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007 and  (c) 2008; on what occasions his Department was legally represented; and what his estimate is of the cost to his Department of each such inquiry in each such year.

Bob Ainsworth: The MOD incurred the costs shown for legal representation at three statutory public inquiries, which have replaced tribunals of inquiries, in 2006, 2007 and 2008. Most of the costs were for legal representation for former and current soldiers, rather than the MOD itself.
	
		
			   £ 
			  Inquiry  FY 2006-07  FY 2007-08  FY 2008-09 
			 The Bloody Sunday Inquiry 305,206 269,962 174,300 
			 The Rosemary Nelson Inquiry n/a 35,106 99,466 
			 The Billy Wright Inquiry n/a 12,149 4,118 
			 n/a = Not available. 
		
	
	The costs incurred for the Rosemary Nelson and Billy Wright Inquiries in 2006-07 were not recorded separately from other work carried out by the same solicitors and cannot be individually identified. Other costs to the MOD arising from these inquiries are not recorded separately.
	In addition, the MOD incurred legal and other costs arising from the Nimrod Review in 2008-09.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many broken axles were recorded for each armoured vehicle type deployed in  (a) Afghanistan and  (b) Iraq in each year since 2006.

Quentin Davies: I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Secretary of State for Defence gave on 22 June 2009,  Official Report, column 624W.

Army: Manpower

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) trained strength,  (b) actual strength and  (c) numbers fit for duty is of the (i) Royal Regiment of Scotland, (ii) Scots Guards, (iii) Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, (iv) 1st Royal Tank Regiment, (v) 19th Regiment Royal Artillery and (vi) 40th Regiment Royal Artillery.

Bill Rammell: As at 1 October 2009, the figures were:
	
		
			  Unit  Trained requirement  Actual strength  Fit for duty 
			 Royal Regiment of Scotland 3,230 2,825 2,806 
			 Scots Guards 753 665 664 
			 Royal Scots Dragoon Guards 589 511 510 
			 19th Regt RA 552 569 560 
			 40th Regt RA 467 502 497 
		
	
	Figures for 1 RTR, an element of which forms part of a tri-service organisation, are not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	"Trained Requirement" has been interpreted as the maximum number of trained posts in a battalion's peace time configuration.
	"Actual strength" has been interpreted as the number of personnel assigned to a battalion for its planned duties. It will also include augmentees who are temporarily assigned if needed to support the role of the battalion (for operational military tasks and events that cannot be achieved within required strengths). Similarly, the figures exclude those assigned out of the battalion to augment other units.
	"Fit for duty" has been interpreted as fit for primary role, including personnel listed as having limited deployability, plus personnel who are unfit for deployment but who can perform a role in an alternative capacity. The difference between the Actual Strength and Number Fit for Duty represents those who are medically non-effective, i.e. are unfit for any form of duty.

Defence: Scotland

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 26 October 2009,  Official Report, columns 31-3W, on defence: Scotland, what defence establishments in Scotland are presently operated by his Department in each parliamentary constituency.

Kevan Jones: The following table lists Ministry of Defence sites in Scotland by parliamentary constituency. It should be noted that this list does not include the Volunteer Estate, Army Career and Information Offices, Armed Forces Careers Offices or Service Family Accommodation.
	
		
			  Name of site  Constituency 
			 Kirk O Shotts Mould and Comms Site Airdrie and Shotts 
			 Royal Marines Condor Angus 
			 Royal Naval Armament Depot Coulport Argyll and Bute 
			 Defence Munitions Centre (DMC) Glen Douglas Argyll and Bute 
			 Ardgarten Training Area Argyll and Bute 
			 Blarbuie Rifle Range Argyll and Bute 
			 Clynder Comms Site Argyll and Bute 
			 Colonsay Comms Site Argyll and Bute 
			 Loch Fyne Argyll and Bute 
			 Loch Goil Argyll and Bute 
			 Oil Fuel depot Garelochhead Argyll and Bute 
			 Finnart Ocean Terminal Argyll and Bute 
			 Garelochead Training Area Argyll and Bute 
			 Islay Comms Site Argyll and Bute 
			 Rhu Port Logistics Unit Argyll and Bute 
			 Defence Estates (DE) Machrihanish Argyll and Bute 
			 Mullach Dubh Comms Site Argyll and Bute 
			 Iss Radio Meall Mor Argyll and Bute 
			 Camrhu Monitor Station Argyll and Bute 
			 Mull Communications Site Argyll and Bute 
			 Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde Argyll and Bute 
			 NATO POL Depot Campbeltown Argyll and Bute 
			 NATO POL Depot Loch Striven Argyll and Bute 
			 Ru Stafnish Radio Station Argyll and Bute 
			 Tiree Comms Site Argyll and Bute 
			 DSCA Radio Brown Carrick Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock 
			 RAF Buchan Banff and Buchan 
			 Mormond Hill Comms Site Banff and Buchan 
			 ISS Radio Crimond Banff and Buchan 
			 Dunion Hill Mould Comms Site Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk 
			 Cape Wrath Bombing Range Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross 
			 Invergordon Burial Rights Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross 
			 Vulcan Naval Reactor Test Establishment Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross 
			 Tain Training Area DTE Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross 
			 Old Man of Wick Rifle Range Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross 
			 Wyvis Training Area Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross/Ross, Skye and Lochaber 
			 Dundonald Hill Comms Site Central Ayrshire 
			 HMS Gannet Central Ayrshire 
			 Defence Procurement Agency Seismic Stations Eskdalemuir Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale 
			 Eastriggs Storage Depot Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale 
			 Green Lowther Hill Radio Station Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale 
			 Ballscalloch Radio Station Dumfries and Galloway 
			 Castle Kennedy Training Area Dumfries and Galloway 
			 Cambret Hill Mould Site Dumfries and Galloway 
			 Kirkcudbright Training Area Dumfries and Galloway 
			 West Freugh Dumfries and Galloway 
			 Galloway Training Area Dumfries and Galloway/Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock 
			 Barry Buddon Training Camp Dundee East Burgh 
			 Craigowl Hill Mould and Comms Site Dundee West Burgh 
			 DMC Crombie Dunfermline and West Fife 
			 HMS Caledonia Dunfermline and West Fife 
			 DE Rosyth Dunfermline and West Fife 
			 DE South Arm Rosyth Dunfermline and West Fife 
			 Edinburgh Castle Edinburgh East Burgh 
			 Dreghorn Barracks Edinburgh South West 
			 Inchdrewer House Edinburgh South West 
			 Redford Cavalry Barracks Edinburgh South West 
			 Redford Infantry Barracks Edinburgh South West 
			 Kirknewton Airfield Edinburgh South West 
			 Castlelaw Ranges Edinburgh South West and Midlothian 
			 Craigiehall Edinburgh West Burgh 
			 Cerium Building Glasgow Central Burgh 
			 Kentigern House Glasgow Central Burgh 
			 Museum RHF Glasgow Glasgow Central Burgh 
			 Black Dog Range Gordon 
			 Scotstown Moor Gordon 
			 Cameron Barracks Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey 
			 Fort George Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey 
			 Foyers Comms Site Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey 
			 Inverness Training Camp Kingussie Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch abd Strathspey 
			 Greenock Navy Buildings Inverclyde 
			 ISS Radio Greenock Inverclyde 
			 Burntisland Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath 
			 Craigkelly Comms Site Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath 
			 Cullaloe Hills NATO Relay Station Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath 
			 Glencorse Barracks Midlothian 
			 Burgie Hill Radio Station Moray 
			 RAF Kinloss Moray 
			 RAF Lossiemouth Moray 
			 RAF Aird Uig Na h-Eileanan an Iar 
			 DE Hebrides Na h-Eileanan an Iar 
			 RAF Benbecula Na h-Eileanan an Iar 
			 Isle of Lewis Mould and Comms Site Na h-Eileanan an Iar 
			 Barvas Rifle Range Na h-Eileanan an Iar 
			 Stornoway DRDF Site Na h-Eileanan an Iar 
			 DMC Beith North Ayrshire and Arran 
			 RAF Leuchars North East Fife 
			 Tighnablair Training Area Ochil and South Perthshire 
			 Collafirth Hill Forward Scatter Site Orkney and Shetland 
			 Fair Isle Mould Comms Site Orkney and Shetland 
			 Rams Dale Range Orkney and Shetland 
			 RAF Saxa Vord Orkney and Shetland 
			 UGSAS Glasgow Paisley and Renfrewshire North 
			 Balduff Training Area Perth and North Perthshire 
			 Pitlochry Mould and Comms Site Perth and North Perthshire 
			 Aultbea Training Camp Ross, Skye and Lochaber 
			 Applecross Ross, Skye and Lochaber 
			 Rona Ross, Skye and Lochaber 
			 Kyle of Lochalsh Ross, Skye and Lochaber 
			 Glendocherty Mould and Comms Site Ross, Skye and Lochaber 
			 Inverness Training Camp Dundonnell Ross, Skye and Lochaber 
			 Inverness Training Camp Tulloch Ross, Skye and Lochaber 
			 Balmacara House Ross, Skye and Lochaber 
			 Kinlochleven Training Area Ross, Skye and Lochaber 
			 Loch Eyenort Comms Site Ross, Skye and Lochaber 
			 Loch Ewe Training Area Ross, Skye and Lochaber 
			 NATO POL Depot Loch Ewe Ross, Skye and Lochaber 
			 Forthside Stirling Stirling 
			 HQ 51 Highland Brigade Forthside Stirling 
			 Queen Victoria School Stirling 
			 Stirling Castle RHQ and Museum Stirling 
			 DSG Forthside Stirling 
			 ISS Radio Bruxie Hill West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine 
			 Victoria Barracks West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine

Departmental Domestic Visits

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many visits he has made to  (a) repatriation ceremonies for the remains of servicemen,  (b) the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, Selly Oak and  (c) the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre Headley Court in the course of his official duties since his appointment.

Bob Ainsworth: Following my appointment as Defence Secretary on 5 June 2009, I visited the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, Selly Oak, on 2 July. I also visited both the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine and the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre a number of times when I was Minister for the Armed Forces.
	Ministers have offered to attend repatriations on many occasions but have deferred to the advice of the Service Chiefs that these ceremonies are very much an occasion for the families and the military to pay their respects.

Departmental Electronic Equipment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of his Department's  (a) computers,  (b) laptops and  (c) memory sticks were (i) lost and (ii) stolen in each month in 2009 to date.

Kevan Jones: The MOD takes any loss of information and associated media storage devices very seriously and has robust procedures in place to mitigate against such occurrences. New processes, instructions and technological aids are also being implemented to mitigate human errors and raise awareness of every individual in the Department.
	The following table details how many computers, laptops and USB flash memory devices were reported as lost and stolen in each month in 2009.
	
		
			  Lost/stolen CIS for 2009 
			   Device type  Lost  Stolen 
			 January Laptops 1 10 
			  Desktop Computers 1 4 
			  USB Flash Memory Devices 4 1 
			 
			 February Laptops 2 2 
			  Desktop Computers 6 1 
			  USB Flash Memory Devices 3 0 
			 
			 March Laptops 5 4 
			  Desktop Computers 0 2 
			  USB Flash Memory Devices 1 0 
			 
			 April Laptops 4 7 
			  Desktop Computers 0 0 
			  USB Flash Memory Devices 15 1 
			 
			 May Laptops 1 8 
			  Desktop Computers 2 1 
			  USB Flash Memory Devices 1 2 
			 
			 June Laptops 2 6 
			  Desktop Computers 0 0 
			  USB Flash Memory Devices 2 0 
			 
			 July Laptops 3 5 
			  Desktop Computers 0 4 
			  USB Flash Memory Devices 9 0 
			 August Laptops 4 19 
			  Desktop Computers 0 0 
			  USB Flash Memory Devices 3 0 
			 
			 September Laptops 2 1 
			  Desktop Computers 0 2 
			  USB Flash Memory Devices 3 0 
			 
			 October Laptops 1 4 
			  Desktop Computers 0 0 
			  USB Flash Memory Devices 1 1 
			 
			 November (as of 2 November 2009) Laptops 0 0 
			  Desktop Computers 0 0 
			  USB Flash Memory Devices 0 0 
			 
			 Total Laptops 25 66 
			  Desktop Computers 9 14 
			  USB Flash Memory Devices 42 5

Departmental Finance

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated monetary value was of his Department's spare parts which have been lost in transit in each year since 2001.

Quentin Davies: Data on losses are not held in the format requested, to enable the separate identification of 'spare parts'. This information could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Pay

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been paid in bonuses to civil servants in his Department in each year since 1997.  [Official Report, 25 March 2010, Vol. 508, c. 3-4MC.]

Kevan Jones: Total amounts of all types of bonus paid to MOD civilian personnel in each financial year since 2003-04 are provided in the following table:
	
		
			   Bonus total (£) 
			 2003-04 24,866,213 
			 2004-05 34,106,162 
			 2005-06 43,317,178 
			 2006-07 39,147,749 
			 2007-08 46,103,238 
			 2008-09 52,984,656 
			 2009-10 47,283,853 
		
	
	Figure for 2009-10 is a partial year figure covering the period 1 April 2009 to 31 October 2009.
	We are unable to provide details of bonus payments paid during the period April 1997 to March 2003 as the data are no longer available electronically and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many miles  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department travelled by (i) car, (ii) rail and (iii) air on Government business in each year since 1997.

Kevan Jones: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Nuclear Submarines

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons his Department has decided to reduce the radius of the emergency pre-planning zone around a berthed nuclear-powered submarine from two kilometres to 1.5 kilometres.

Bill Rammell: Any decision to reduce the radius of an emergency planning zone is not made by the Ministry of Defence.
	The Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate is the national authority responsible for determining the radius of the emergency planning zone. The radius is based on assessments of the hazards associated with berthing nuclear submarines, as submitted by the Ministry of Defence, to meet the requirements of the Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2001 (REPPIR 2001).

Reserve Forces

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what niche reserve forces skills have been identified as having the potential to contribute to projects undertaken by the Department for International Development.

Bill Rammell: Over recent months, the Department has been working closely with DFID on how reservists can contribute to stabilisation operations. The two Departments are developing a framework for reservist employment that includes the identification of necessary niche skills from 14 functional areas ranging from security to reconstruction. This work is expected to conclude over the next few months.

Reserve Forces: Manpower

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) required and  (b) actual strength of the (i) Territorial Army, (ii) Royal Marines Reserves, (iii) Royal Naval Reserve and (iv) Royal Auxiliary Air Force is.

Bill Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to the Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts 2008-09 which was laid before Parliament on 21 July 2009.

Reserve Forces: Training

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he expects any changes to Territorial Army operational training in Northern Ireland to result from the restoration of the training budget.

Bill Rammell: The Government have repeatedly made clear that no one in the armed forces will deploy on operations without being trained for the role they are being asked to perform. Training for Territorial Army (TA) personnel preparing for mobilisation was specifically exempted from the decision to reduce TA activity for the remainder of the current financial year. Neither this decision, nor the subsequent decision to restore training for all TA personnel this year, has therefore affected the preparations of those in the TA who are currently earmarked for operations.

Review of Defence Airfields

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will implement the recommendations of the Tri-Service Review of Defence Airfields in the United Kingdom.

Bill Rammell: We have implemented a number of recommendations from the Tri-Service Review of Defence Airfields in the United Kingdom. Other findings from this work have been taken into account when drawing up future plans for the defence estate. These are kept under constant review to ensure that the best use is made of the defence estate for our armed forces.

Territorial Army: Deployment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Territorial Army personnel have been mobilised for three or more overseas deployments.

Bill Rammell: Territorial Army personnel are protected by the Reserve Forces Act 1996 which restricts a reservist from being re-mobilised for a specified period depending upon the operation on which they have served.
	Information on the number of personnel mobilised for three or more deployments is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Territorial Army: Deployment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel in the Territorial Army are liable to be deployed on service overseas.

Bill Rammell: As of 1 September 2009 the strength of the Territorial Army was 34,380. Of these approximately 19,000 had completed phase 2 training, were not bound by limitations of the Reserve Forces Act 1996 and were therefore available for mobilisation, subject to their being releasable from their civilian commitments and completing additional pre deployment training. The figure of 19,000 does not include the 1,200 TA personnel currently mobilised in support of operations. The figure of 34,380 includes University Officer Training Corps Cadets who are, of course, non deployable.

Trident

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department plans to  (a) participate in the US Navy Conventional Trident Modification programme and  (b) equip Trident missiles with conventional warheads.

Bob Ainsworth: The UK has no plans to arm its Trident missiles with conventional warheads or to participate in the United States' Conventional Trident Modification programme.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many unmanned aerial vehicles of each type are  (a) in service and  (b) operationally deployable.

Quentin Davies: There are 176 Desert Hawk III unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) in service.
	The Hermes 450 UAV capability is procured on a service provision basis. The service specifies the number of flying hours to be provided, not the number of air vehicles. The service is, however, currently supported by 10 air vehicles.
	Four Reaper UAVs have been delivered into service, one of which was lost on operations in April 2008. Two others are on order.
	I am withholding information on the number of UAVs that are operationally deployable as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

TRANSPORT

A1: Speed Limits

Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport for what reason a temporary 50 mph speed limit has been introduced on the A1 at Wyboston at times when no road works are taking place and no lanes are coned off; on what date the temporary speed limit was introduced; what the reason is for the duration of the restriction; for what reasons the limit has been in place for several weeks; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mole: This temporary 50 mph speed limit came into effect on the A1 between Wyboston and the junction for Little Paxton on Friday 4 September to coincide with the start of the A1 Eaton Socon Bypass resurfacing scheme. Most of the works are undertaken at night or at weekends and the limit will remain in place until the completion of the works in December 2009.
	The speed limit is permanently in force for safety reasons since there can still be incomplete safety fencing, temporary road surfaces, raised iron work and unprotected drainage ditches on both the northbound and southbound carriageways. In addition, the workforce can still be present on the road at any time carrying out routine tasks such as surveying and preparation work for the next carriageway closure.
	The Highways Agency has concluded that the speed limits need to be in place for the duration of the works, given these safety reasons and that it would not be practicable to keep removing and reinstating the speed limit to reflect whatever is happening on site at any given time.

A1079: Repairs and Maintenance

Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent assessment his Department has made of the state of the A1079 in East Yorkshire; and what plans he has to upgrade it.

Sadiq Khan: The Department for Transport has not made any assessment of the state of the A1079 in East Yorkshire and has no plans to upgrade it. As a local authority road this is the responsibility of the East Riding of Yorkshire council.

Airports

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when he plans to publish his national policy statement within the framework envisaged by the Planning Act 2008 on airports; what recent representations he has received on this issue; what recent discussions he has had on this issue; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport plans to publish a draft National Policy Statement on Airports by 2011 with a view to designating it later that year. I have had no recent representations or discussions specifically on this issue.

Airports: Expansion

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what representations he has received from hon. and right hon. Members of each party in favour of  (a) a third runway at Heathrow Airport,  (b) a second runway at Gatwick Airport,  (c) further expansion of Stansted Airport and  (d) a new airport in the Thames Estuary.

Paul Clark: No central records are held on any such representations and to search for the information would involve disproportionate cost.

Bedford Station

Patrick Hall: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when he expects Bedford station to have capacity for 12 carriage trains as a result of the Thameslink programme.

Chris Mole: Network Rail is currently forecasting that work to enable 12 car operation at Bedford station will be complete by late 2011. This will enable a 12 car service to operate on this route from December 2011 as originally planned.

Biofuels: Carbon Emissions

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what his assessment is of the potential contribution of users of high blend biodiesel towards the UK's energy target of a 34 per cent. reduction in greenhouse gases by 2020.

Sadiq Khan: The Department for Transport is currently engaging with stakeholders, and undertaking wide ranging economic analysis regarding our 2020 renewable transport energy targets. The potential uptake of different renewable transport fuels, including high blends of biofuel, will be assessed as part of this analysis. This will inform our National Action Plan, due for publication next summer, in which the Department will set out a clear strategy for meeting our targets.

Cycling: Accidents

Annette Brooke: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many people aged  (a) 16 years and under and  (b) over 16 years (i) received serious head injuries and (ii) died as a result of accidents involving bicycles in each year since 2003.

Paul Clark: The number of people aged  (a) 16 years old and under and  (b) over 16 years old killed or seriously injured as a result of personal injury road accidents involving bicycles between 2003-08 (the latest year for which figures are available) is given in the table.
	
		
			  Reported casualties( 1) , killed or seriously injured in personal injury road accidents involving pedal cycles, by age, Great Britain, 2003-08 
			   Killed  Seriously injured 
			   0-16  17 and over  Total( 2)  0-16  17 and over  Total( 2) 
			 2003 20 99 120 646 1,717 2,404 
			 2004 25 114 139 615 1,626 2,275 
			 2005 25 131 157 573 1,710 2,334 
			 2006 34 118 153 547 1,826 2,415 
			 2007 16 125 142 591 1,900 2,543 
			 2008 16 103 119 462 2,049 2,559 
			 (1) Includes pedal cyclists and other casualties. (2) Includes casualties where age was unknown or unspecified. 
		
	
	Information on people who received serious head injuries as a result of a cycling accident is not available.

Departmental Advertising

Lee Scott: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much his Department spent on advertising  (a) in the printed press,  (b) on television and  (c) on radio in each of the last three years.

Chris Mole: The majority of press, television and radio advertising media investment by the Department for Transport is in support of the THINK! road safety and the Act on CO2 campaigns. Major advertising investment by executive agencies has been by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, in support of Electronic Vehicle Licensing, Sale of Marks and Vehicle Excise Enforcement (Continuous Registration).
	The information sought is not held in the format requested by all parts of the Department and can be provided only at disproportionate cost. Information available is included in the following table:
	
		
			  £000 
			   2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			  (a) Printed press advertising
			 DfT(C) 2,136 2,184 1,105 
			 DSA 148 91 43 
			 DVLA n/a n/a n/a 
			 GCDA n/a n/a n/a 
			 HA n/a 117 41 
			 MCA 71 50 73 
			 VCA n/a n/a n/a 
			 VOSA 0 0 0 
			 
			  (b) Television advertising
			 DfT(C) 5,171 8,002 8,171 
			 DSA 0 0 0 
			 DVLA n/a n/a n/a 
			 GCDA 0 0 0 
			 HA 0 0 0 
			 MCA 4 15 13 
			 VCA n/a n/a n/a 
			 VOSA 0 0 0 
			 
			  (c) Radio advertising
			 DfT(C) 2,578 2,511 3,089 
			 DSA 0 0 41 
			 DVLA n/a n/a n/a 
			 GCDA 0 0 0 
			 HA n/a 40 66 
			 MCA 0 0 0 
			 VCA n/a n/a n/a 
			 VOSA 0 0 0 
		
	
	Marketing advertising expenditure across all media types is available and is set out in the following table for each of the last three years.
	
		
			  Marketing advertising expenditure 
			  £000 
			   2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 DfT(C) 16,395 15,611 16,588 
			 DSA 148 91 530 
			 DVLA 7,098 7,716 9,484 
			 GCDA <1 0 3 
			 HA 229 157 295 
			 MCA 74 66 86 
			 VCA 23 24 19 
			 VOSA 0 0 0

Departmental Postal Services

Lee Scott: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what percentage of postal services provided for his Department and its agencies were provided by  (a) Royal Mail and  (b) other postal service providers (i) in 2007, (ii) in 2008, (iii) between 1 January and 1 July 2009 and (iv) after 1 July 2009.

Chris Mole: The requested information is not available in the format requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Responsibility

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what  (a) review,  (b) consultations and  (c) taskforces his Department is (i) responsible for and (ii) scheduled to undertake; on what date each such initiative that is underway (A) started and (B) is expected to be completed; what the purpose is of each; and what the estimated cost of each is.

Chris Mole: Details of the Department for Transport's current consultations and reviews have been placed in the Libraries of the House. The Department has no taskforces.
	Information about the cost of each consultation and review is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Driving: Licensing

Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many driving licences were suspended following the accumulation of penalty points in each of the last five calendar years.

Paul Clark: The requested data are only available for the last four years:
	
		
			   Number 
			  Driving licence disqualifications through totting-up  12 penalty points  
			 2006 41,035 
			 2007 34,965 
			 2008 32,568 
			 2009 to date 20,659 
			   
			  Driving licences revoked under the New Drivers Act with six or more penalty points  
			 2006 17,273 
			 2007 18,691 
			 2008 18,417 
			 2009 to date 6,999 
			   
			  Total of penalty point disqualifications and revocations  
			 2006 58,308 
			 2007 53,656 
			 2008 50,985 
			 2009 to date 27,658

Driving: Mobile Telephones

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will estimate the number of drivers who regularly use a mobile telephone while driving.

Paul Clark: No such estimate has been undertaken but the Department for Transport undertakes an annual observational survey of drivers using mobile phones. The results of the most recent survey in September 2008 are summarised in the answer provided to the hon. Member by my predecessor the hon. Member for Poplar and Canning Town (Jim Fitzpatrick) on 24 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 203-4W.
	The results of the 2009 survey will be published when they are available.

Hard Shoulder Running Projects

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what decisions his Department has made on what technology to use to facilitate the forthcoming hard shoulder running projects.

Chris Mole: The technology used for hard shoulder running Managed Motorway schemes will be based on standard proven technology including variable message signs (type MS4 for text and pictograms), advanced motorway indicators (type Advanced Motorway (lane) Indicator for mandatory speed limits and other signs), digital safety speed enforcement cameras and CCTV. All early schemes will use a proven fixed camera solution for monitoring the hard shoulder prior to opening. These solutions will be similar to those used for the M42 Active Traffic Management pilot.

Heathrow Airport: Safety

John McDonnell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport 
	(1)  what plans he has to review his policy on airport public safety zones with particular reference to  (a) their boundaries and  (b) the buildings which are allowed within them;
	(2)  what consideration he has given to the application of his Department's public safety zones policy in respect of Heathrow Airport;
	(3)  what consideration was given to his Department's public safety zone policy when it was decided to support a third runway at Heathrow Airport;
	(4)  what area would be encompassed by a public safety zone if the third runway and sixth terminal at Heathrow Airport were to be constructed;
	(5)  what buildings are located in the public safety zones area to be established if a third runway at Heathrow Airport is constructed; and what the estimated cost of the compulsory purchase of these buildings by the airport operator is under existing legislation.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport currently has no plans to review its Public Safety Zone (PSZ) policy, which is set out in the DFT circular 1/2002 on "Control of Development in Airport Public Safety Zones".
	The Department only establishes PSZs for existing airport runways. For proposed new runways it would be a matter for the airport operator-BAA in the case of Heathrow-to produce draft Public Safety Zone contours as part of any future planning application and to identify any properties that might be affected. This would then be subject to consultation as part of the normal planning process.
	In relation to the decision to support a third runway at Heathrow airport, reference was made to PSZ policy both in the consultation document and in the safety section of the "Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport" impact assessment (available on the DFTwebsite at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/aviation/heathrowconsultations/heathrowdecision/impactassessment/

Lorries: Testing

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what plans he has to use private goods vehicle testers in Preseli Pembrokeshire constituency in place of the goods vehicle testing centre operated by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency.

Paul Clark: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) has no plans to use private goods vehicle testers in Preseli Pembrokeshire constituency in place of the goods vehicle testing centre operated by the VOSA.

Motorways: Noise

John Howell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of treatment by specific surface preservation treatments in reducing surface noise levels on motorways.

Chris Mole: The Highways Agency is currently investigating a number of different surface preservation treatment processes for existing road pavements on the trunk road network. The treatments are intended to increase the service life of the pavement before the existing surface requires replacement due to surface disintegration or unacceptable reduction in skidding resistance. Investigations on the overall performance of these treatments is ongoing, to examine all aspects of their effectiveness. Initial assessment suggests that the treatments are likely to be either neutral or result in slight reductions in traffic noise levels over the lifetime of the treatment when compared with the current surfacing.

Network Rail: Finance

John McDonnell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much funding his Department plans to provide to Network Rail in each year from 2009 to 2014.

Chris Mole: holding answer 2 November 2009
	The schedule of direct payments from the Secretary of State to Network Rail under the Network Rail Deed of Grant is as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2009-10 3,366 
			 2010-11 3,386 
			 2011-12 3,411 
			 2012-13 3,347 
			 2013-14 3,071 
		
	
	Figures for 2010-11 and beyond are subject to indexation with reference to the retail price index. In addition, these figures do not include any contracted payments in respect of the rail network in Scotland which are subject to separate arrangements between Network Rail and Scottish Ministers.
	Network Rail also receives income from other sources including passenger train operators, freight operators, retail and property. It also accesses further funding via borrowing. Its total revenue requirement for England and Wales, as determined by the independent Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) is as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2009-10 4,764 
			 2010-11 4,805 
			 2011-12 4,836 
			 2012-13 4,817 
			 2013-14 4,806 
		
	
	The ORR has indicated that this level of income will be sufficient for Network Rail to deliver the outputs required by the Government's High Level Output Specification.

Postal Services

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of volume of mail which has been transported by  (a) road,  (b) rail,  (c) air and  (d) sea in each year since 2002.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport does not hold data for mail transported by rail or by sea.
	The following tables show the amount of mail transport by road and by air. Comparable data for 2002 and 2003 for road are not available due to a change in collection methodology in 2004.
	
		
			  UK registered road hauliers 
			  Tonnes lifted (thousand) 
			   2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Mail pouches/other mail items 11,044 14,155 13,643 16,420 15,999 
			 Parcels 25,423 17,540 18,431 13,473 15,562 
			 Total 36,468 31,695 32,074 29,893 31,560 
			  Note: Only includes road goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes, therefore mail carried in vans under this weight are not included.  Source: Continuing Survey of Road Goods Transport, DFT 
		
	
	
		
			  UK airports 
			  Tonnes set down and picked up (thousand) 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  
			 Mail 188 177 219 210 188 206 234 
			  Note: Includes mail carried on both domestic and international flights to/from UK airports.  Source: Civil Aviation Authority

Railway Network

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment he has made of the identification by the railway industry of railway lines which would be suitable for reopening; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mole: The report 'Connecting Communities', published by the Association of Train Operating Companies in June 2009, identifies a number of links where re-instating railway lines may offer value for money and also those where re-opening the line is unlikely to be a viable option. The report provides an indication to interested local authorities on where it might be worthwhile to explore further the potential of a re-opened rail line as a means of improving links to places currently without a rail service.

Railways

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Richmond Park (Susan Kramer) of 21 October 2006,  Official Report, column 1447, what consideration is being given to the diversion to platforms 20 to 24 of trains currently terminating at London Bridge, with a view to expanding capacity for trains from the Sussex coast at that station.

Chris Mole: There are no plans to divert Sussex route trains which currently terminate at London Bridge station to Waterloo International Terminal platforms 20 to 24. Sussex route trains can only reach Waterloo by means of the circuitous route via Herne Hill. There are no spare paths available on that route in the peaks, and very few off-peak.

Railways: Standards

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what information his Department holds on the number of trains which were cancelled in each of the last five years by each train operating company; and how many of these cancellations occurred on  (a) peak,  (b) weekday off-peak and  (c) weekend services.

Chris Mole: The information held is given in the following tables. This comprises the total number of trains cancelled by each franchised train operator in each of the five most recent financial years, including 2009-10 up to October 2009. In the case of London and south east operators, the number of peak-hour trains cancelled is also held.
	The Department for Transport does not hold information on the number of trains cancelled on any specific day of the week, requested in  (b) and  (c) above.
	The number of trains cancelled in each of the last five years by franchised train operating company:
	
		
			  All trains 
			   Full cancellations 
			  Train operator  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 (to October 2009) 
			 ATW 2,837 2,214 1,394 1,136 381 
			 c2c 1,343 1,152 1,249 946 349 
			 Chiltern 1,366 938 715 738 410 
			 CrossCountry 1,435 1,382 1,267 1,157 615 
			 East Midlands Trains 1,952 1,970 2,197 1,351 582 
			 FCC 5,565 5,166 4,280 5,533 2,476 
			 FGW 4,609 7,045 8,153 4,509 1,783 
			 London Midland 6,203 6,198 5,623 7,558 2,714 
			 London Overground 2,753 2,301 2,376 1,339 623 
			 Merseyrail 3,038 2,077 1,847 1,613 688 
			 Northern Rail 6,116 7,626 8,670 6,920 3,362 
			 NXEA 7,261 9,207 7,307 6,493 2,856 
			 NXEC 546 805 997 625 284 
			 Southeastern 6,341 5,227 5,102 7,326 2,071 
			 Southern 6,892 5,954 5,627 9,629 3,083 
			 SWT 5,663 6,034 3,890 6,327 1,184 
			 TPE 856 981 897 1,001 268 
			 Virgin Trains 688 878 678 2,205 775 
			 Total 65,464 67,155 62,269 66,406 24,504 
		
	
	The number of peak-hour trains cancelled in each of the last five years by franchised train operating company:
	
		
			  Peak services 
			   Full cancellations 
			  Train operator  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 (to October 2009) 
			 ATW (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 c2c 268 278 222 219 65 
			 Chiltern 278 240 185 192 84 
			 CrossCountry (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 East Midlands Trains (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 FCC 1,069 962 773 1,067 368 
			 FGW 'Link' only 238 316 330 260 75 
			 London Midland 63 109 76 276 62 
			 London Overground 57 47 49 37 23 
			 Merseyrail (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 Northern Rail (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 NXEA 1,045 1,239 1,025 819 406 
			 NXEC (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 Southeastern 1,089 986 953 1,431 429 
			 Southern 911 801 652 938 347 
			 SWT 877 582 582 981 181 
			 TPE (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 Virgin Trains (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 (1 )No data available.

Roads: Accidents

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether his Department has conducted research on trends in the average length of time it takes to reopen a road following a collision in the last five years.

Chris Mole: The Highways Agency records and undertakes analysis of incident clear-up times on motorways. On heavily trafficked roads in December 2008, 91 per cent. of incidents were cleared within 40 minutes and 97 per cent. were cleared within 90 minutes. The Highways Agency defines clearance of an incident as the period from when it takes control of that incident, to when the live carriageway and traffic flow is restored.
	The Highways Agency has therefore not conducted specific research on trends in the average length of time taken to re-open a road in the last five years.

Roads: Accidents

David Evennett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many road traffic accidents were reported on  (a) the A2 in Bexley borough,  (b) the A20 in Bexley borough,  (c) Brampton Road, Bexleyheath,  (d) Okehampton Crescent, Welling,  (e) Gravel Hill, Bexley,  (f) Upper Wickham Lane, Welling,  (g) Knee Hill, Abbey Wood,  (h) Park View Road, Bexleyheath,  (i) Broadway, Bexleyheath,  (j) Avenue Road, Bexleyheath,  (k) Pickford Lane, Bexleyheath,  (l) Long Lane, Bexleyheath,  (m) Colyers Lane, Erith,  (n) Thames Road, Crayford,  (o) North End Road, Erith and  (p) Erith Road, Bexleyheath in (i) 2007-08 and (ii) 2008-09.

Paul Clark: The information requested is given as follows. Data from 2009 will be available in the summer of 2010:
	
		
			  Reported personal injury accidents on selected roads: 2007 and 2008 
			  Road name  2007  2008 
			  (a) A2 in Bexley Borough 23 25 
			  (b) A20 in Bexley Borough 14 12 
			  (c) Brampton Road, Bexleyheath 7 10 
			  (d) Okehampton Crescent, Welling 0 2 
			  (e) Gravel Hill, Bexley 1 7 
			  (f) Upper Wickham Lane, Welling 10 10 
			  (g) Knee Hill, Abbey Wood 2 7 
			  (h) Park View Road, Bexleyheath 8 9 
			  (i) Broadway, Bexleyheath 11 10 
			  (j) and  (k) Avenue Road and Pickford Lane, Bexleyheath(1) 7 12 
			  (l) Long Lane, Bexleyheath 6 4 
			  (m) Colyers Lane, Erith 4 3 
			  (n) Thames Road, Crayford 11 6 
			  (o) North End Road, Erith 4 3 
			  (p) Erith Road, Bexleyheath 12 16 
			 (1) It is not possible to distinguish between Avenue Road and Pickford Lane.  Source:  Transport for London.

Roads: Accidents

Charles Hendry: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many deaths in road traffic accidents there were in each  (a) district,  (b) local authority and  (c) metropolitan borough in each of the last five years; and what proportion of those deaths were of people under 25 years old.

Paul Clark: The information requested has been deposited in the Libraries of the House.

Roads: Accidents

Tom Brake: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many road traffic accidents in the UK involved 
	(1)  drivers with driving licences from each other EU member state in 2008;
	(2)  a foreign driver who did not hold a driving licence issued in the UK or another EU member state, broken down by nationality of driver.

Paul Clark: The information as requested on licences and road traffic accidents is not collected.
	However, figures relating to the numbers of foreign registered vehicles involved in reported personal injury accidents in Great Britain and the resulting casualties are published in table 53 of Reported Road Casualties Great Britain which is available on the Department for Transport's website:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/accidents/casualtiesgbar/rrcgb2008.

Roads: Safety

David Evennett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the level of road safety in  (a) the London Borough of Bexley,  (b) Greater London and  (c) Kent.

Paul Clark: A key comparison between local areas has been the percentage reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured (KSIs) achieved since the 1994 to 1998 period. This measure corresponds to the headline target in the 2000 national road safety strategy.
	Table 1 shows the percentage change from the 1994 to 1998 annual average number of KSIs to the 2006 to 2008 annual average number in each of the areas and in Great Britain as a whole:
	
		
			  Table 1: percentage change in KSIs from 1994-1998 average to 2006-2008 average 
			   Percentage 
			 Bexley -34 
			 Greater London -43 
			 Kent (County Council Area) -37 
			 Great Britain -34

Safer City Funding

David Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport which urban areas have received Safer City funding; and which of them have produced an evaluation report on the use of that funding.

Paul Clark: Gloucester is the only area which has received Safer City funding. The funding was provided during the period 1996 to 2001.
	A project report is available on the Department for Transport website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/laguidance/reportonthegloucestersaferci4679
	A further evaluation report (TRL Report 589: Gloucester Safer City Final Report) was produced in 2003 and is available from the Transport Research Laboratory at:
	www.trl.co.uk

Sustrans: Finance

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much Sustrans has received from his Department in each of the last five years; and what information his Department holds on the amount Sustrans has raised for funding projects in respect of which matching funds were provided by his Department in each such year.

Sadiq Khan: The following table shows how much the Department for Transport has paid Sustrans in each of the last five years and what information the Department holds on the amount Sustrans has raised for funding projects in respect of which match funding was provided by the Department.
	
		
			  £ 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			  Sustrans' projects  
			 Links to Schools 2,000,000 4,205,000 2,010,000 3,500,000 (1)- 
			 Match funding 3,870,700 7,668,035 3,695,331 7,948,772 (1)- 
			   
			 Bike It (2)- (2)- (2)- 700,000 397,500 
			 Match funding (2)- (2)- (2)- 510,000 610,000 
			   
			 Cycling Demonstration Towns (CDTs) Monitoring 11,698 28,698 27,407 73,017 (1)- 
			 Match funding n/a n/a n/a n/a (1)- 
			   
			 Selection of Cycling Demonstration Towns (CDTs) and support for set-up 12,148 4,948 4,474 11,627 (1)- 
			 Match funding n/a n/a n/a n/a (1)- 
			   
			 Safe Routes to Schools/School Travel Information Service 114,709 145,000 60,000 100,000 50,000 
			 Match funding (3)- (3)- (3)- (3)- (3)- 
			 n/a = not applicable (1) No money paid so far this financial year. (2) Prior to 2008-09 Bike It grant paid directly to Bicycle Association. (3) Information not available.

Thameslink

Patrick Hall: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when he expects the first new train to enter into passenger service under the Thameslink rolling stock project.

Chris Mole: The first new Thameslink train is expected to enter passenger service by late 2013.

Thameslink

Patrick Hall: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what his most recent assessment is of the total cost of the Thameslink programme.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport is continually reviewing the costs associated with the Thameslink Programme. The current forecast of the total costs for the programme is around £5.5 billion to £6 billion.

Thameslink

Patrick Hall: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what his most recent estimate is of the level of passenger overcrowding on the Thameslink route of the First Capital Connect franchise.

Chris Mole: Based on data the Department for Transport collected in autumn 2008, levels of passenger overcrowding on the Thameslink route of the First Capital Connect Franchise during the peak periods are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  First Capital Connect Thameslink 
			   Percentage 
			 Peak (AM) 2008 PiXC 5.7 
			 Peak (PM) 2008 PiXC 1.7 
			 Overall 2008 PiXC 3.8

Thameslink

Patrick Hall: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the most recent performance statistics are for the Thameslink route of the First Capital Connect franchise.

Chris Mole: The official industry performance data provided by Network Rail are for First Capital Connect as a whole. This information is not broken down by route or service group and therefore, we are unable to provide the statistics requested.

Thameslink

Patrick Hall: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the proposed changes to Blackfriars station under the Thameslink programme.

Chris Mole: Officials from the Department for Transport are closely monitoring all works covered by the Thameslink Programme, including works at Blackfriars Station.
	Work is now well under way at Blackfriars station, with a number of new temporary measures that are designed to aid the flow of passengers during the construction works.
	On completion the station will span the River Thames, with a new entrance on the south bank. In addition, the London Underground station will be completely modernised with an enhanced interchange between the National Rail and London Underground stations.

Thameslink

Patrick Hall: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent discussions he has had with representatives of Bedford borough council on changes to Bedford station under the Thameslink programme.

Chris Mole: The only recent meeting that Department for Transport officials have had with representatives of Bedford borough council has been regarding the location of stabling facilities near to Bedford station. This meeting, convened by Network Rail, took place during spring 2009.

Thameslink: Manpower

Patrick Hall: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many construction jobs the Thameslink programme has created.

Chris Mole: Network Rail estimate that there are approximately 1,500 people currently working full-time in construction related jobs on the Thameslink Programme, with approximately a further 500 to 700 working on a part-time basis.

Thameslink: Manpower

Patrick Hall: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many additional train drivers will be employed in order to operate the full Thameslink service on completion of the Thameslink programme.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport estimates that about an additional 80 drivers will be required to operate the enhanced Thameslink service.
	The exact number of additional drivers will be determined by the final train service pattern and the associated detailed operational plan and timetabling work which will be undertaken in due course.

Vehicle and Operator Services Agency: Haverfordwest

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with road hauliers and bus operators on the future of the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency goods vehicle testing station in Haverfordwest;
	(2)  what recent representations he has received on the future of the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency goods vehicle testing station in Haverfordwest.

Paul Clark: No discussions have taken place with any party regarding the future of Haverfordwest testing station and no representations have been made regarding the future of the Haverfordwest testing station.

Waterloo International Terminal

Justine Greening: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what expenditure on  (a) the operation of,  (b) the maintenance of,  (c) security at and  (d) other matters at Waterloo International terminal British Rail Board (Residuary) incurred in the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available.

Chris Mole: It is the Government's intention that the former Eurostar terminal at Waterloo is used to provide increased capacity for domestic passengers.
	The former Eurostar terminal and platforms are also likely to be central to the wider redevelopment of Waterloo which would be a key project to transforming the station environment and accessibility, while also increasing capacity significantly. The Secretary of State has asked his station advisers to make early recommendations on the scope and options for the long-term development of Waterloo, including the former international terminal.
	The costs that BRB (Residuary) Ltd. have incurred in managing the former Eurostar terminal at Waterloo in the 12 months to 31 March 2009 are as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 Operations(1) 1,232,000 
			 Maintenance 673,000 
			 Security 36,000 
			 Other 52,000 
			 (1)Operations costs quoted are net of income from rent and service charges of £1,255,000.

Waterloo Station

Justine Greening: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the economy over  (a) five,  (b) 10 and  (c) 20 years of integrating Waterloo International terminal into the domestic terminal.

Chris Mole: It is the Government's intention that the former Eurostar terminal at Waterloo is used to provide increased capacity for domestic passengers. The Department for Transport is in discussion with Network Rail and Stagecoach South West Trains to establish what would be the most cost-effective way to integrate Waterloo International terminal into the domestic station that maximises benefits for the short, medium and long term.
	The former Eurostar terminal and platforms are also likely to be central to the wider redevelopment of Waterloo which would be a key project to transforming the station environment and accessibility, while also increasing capacity significantly. The Secretary of State has asked his station advisors to make early recommendations on the scope and options for the long-term development of Waterloo, including the former international terminal.

Waterloo Station

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport for what reason the Waterloo International Terminal has been allowed to remain in the ownership of the British Rail (Residuary) Body.

Chris Mole: The former Eurostar terminal at Waterloo station is a vital strategic asset of the Department for Transport and is being held pending decisions on its future use as an operational rail facility. BRB (Residuary) Ltd. are holding the facility on behalf of the Department of Transport as the company has the relevant expertise in managing such assets.

TREASURY

Alcohol: Excise Duties

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent estimate is of the level of fraud in respect of duty on  (a) beer,  (b) wine,  (c) spirits and  (d) cider.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The most recent estimate of the spirits level of fraud was published by HMRC in "Measuring Indirect Tax Gaps-2008" in October 2008 and is available in the House of Commons Library.
	The Department's most recent estimate of the level of fraud in beer for 2006-07 gives a range of between £270 million and £490 million in respect of duty. This is a provisional internal estimate that may be subject to revision.
	Estimates for the level of fraud in wine and cider are not available.

Bank Services

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with Lloyds Banking Group on competition in the retail banking sector; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent discussions  (a) he,  (b) officials of his Department and  (c) the Competition Commission have had on competition in the retail banking sector; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what discussions he has had with Lloyds Banking Group on divestments of its retail banking operations further to those announced on 3 November 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Bank Services

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which indicators of competition in the UK retail banking sector his Department monitors; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: HM Treasury has a departmental objective to support fair, stable and efficient financial markets. In pursuit of this objective the Department has regard to a range of quantitative and qualitative information including from the Office of Fair Trading, Financial Services Authority and other bodies.

Banks

Caroline Flint: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what  (a) financial and  (b) due diligence checks will be undertaken in relation to any new entrant into the UK financial services market arising from the sale of branches or subsidiaries of RBS or Lloyds Banking Group.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The package of restructuring and other measures is now subject to agreement by the College of Commissioners. The Financial Services Authority (FSA) will scrutinise any potential purchasers of the divestments and, in doing so, consider the buyer's intention for the business. Any purchaser will have to satisfy the FSA as to the adequacy of its financial resources, the competency and experience of its leadership, the adequacy of its risk and control standards, and the long-term viability and sustainability of the entity as assessed by reference to its business plan.

Banks: Debts

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the level of indebtedness of  (a) RBS,  (b) Lloyds Banking Group and  (c) Northern Rock is.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Details of the banks' liabilities can be found in their published accounts, available on their websites at:
	http://www.investors.rbs.com/
	http://www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/
	http://companyinfo.northernrock.co.uk/

Banks: Yorkshire and the Humber

Caroline Flint: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the sale of subsidiaries of RBS and Lloyds Banking Group on employment in Doncaster and the Yorkshire region;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effect of the sale of subsidiaries of RBS and Lloyds Banking Group on retail lending and banking activities in Doncaster and the Yorkshire region.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government are confident that the proposed package of restructuring for RBS and Lloyds will increase competition throughout the UK retail and SME banking markets benefiting consumers, businesses and the wider economy, including Doncaster and the Yorkshire region.

Child Care Vouchers

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many companies in Slough constituency claimed tax and national insurance contribution exemption for childcare vouchers in the latest period for which information is available.

Stephen Timms: Companies are not required to make a tax return reporting the provision of childcare vouchers for use by their employees. As such HM Revenue and Customs does not hold information about which companies are providing childcare vouchers or in which constituency they are based.

Child Care Vouchers

Annette Brooke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of employees who have taken part in a childcare voucher scheme since the introduction of such schemes; and if he will make it his policy to collect data on employer-supported childcare.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs commissioned research in 2006 to collect data on employer supported child care, which was carried out by the National Centre for Social Research and is available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/research/research-report23.htm.
	This published research estimated that there were 174,000 employees using child care vouchers in late 2005.

Child Trust Fund

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many children were eligible for a child trust fund account in each year since the policy was introduced.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The annual statistical information on child trust fund accounts can be viewed on HM Revenue and Custom's website:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ctf/statistical-report-2006.pdf
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ctf/statistical-report-2007.pdf
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ctf/statistical-report-2008.pdf
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ctf/statistical-report-2009.pdf

Children: Day Care

Annette Brooke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to the Exchequer of tax relief on employer-supported childcare has been in each year since the scheme's inception.

Stephen Timms: The estimated costs of employer supported child care were published in the Tax Ready Reckoner and Tax Reliefs supplementary document alongside the 2008 pre-Budget report, available at
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/pbr08_taxready reckoner_287.pdf.

Council Tax: Valuation

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 27 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1180W, on council tax: parking, how many domestic dwellings in each local authority in England, or the closest local administrative unit used, have been assigned the dwellinghouse coding for parking of  (a) G1,  (b) G2,  (c) G3,  (d) G4,  (e) G5,  (f) G6,  (g) G7,  (h) G8 and  (i) G9 according to records held by the Valuation Office Agency.

Ian Pearson: The information requested is publicly available in the Freedom of Information Disclosure Log on the VOA's website.

Debts

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the level of personal debt in the economy; what estimate he has made of the likely level of personal debt in the economy in May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Bank of England collects and publishes statistics on the level of personal debt. The full Bank of England dataset can be found at:
	http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/mfsd/iadb/FromShowColumns.asp?Travel=Nlx&SearchText=VTXC
	The Government do not publish forecasts for personal debt.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff in his Department were employed on the management of freedom of information requests submitted to his Department in each year since 2005; and how much his Department spent on the management of such requests in each such year.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Treasury has a central team of seven (full-time equivalent) that co-ordinates work on information rights. A substantial part of their work is managing FOI requests; however, the Treasury does not operate a time recording system that would enable costs for this element to be determined.

Economic Growth

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the British economy grew on average each year  (a) in total and  (b) per capita in the period (i) 1983 to 1987, (ii) 1987 to 1992, (iii) 1992 to 1997, (iv) 1997 to 2001, (v) 2001 to 2005 and (vi) 2005 to 2008.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Data on the UK economy is publicly available from the website of the independent Office for National Statistics (ONS). Calculations of GDP per capita are available online from international organisations such as the IMF and World Bank.

Economic Situation

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the performance of the UK economy; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government will publish updated forecasts for the UK and world economies in the pre-Budget report later this autumn, as is usual practice.

Equitable Life Assurance Society

Ben Chapman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make financial assistance available to pensioners in Wirral South constituency who have lost money as a result of their investments with Equitable Life.

Liam Byrne: The Government have appointed Sir John Chadwick to advise on the relative losses suffered by policyholders and their impact. As I announced in the House on 21 October, the Government expect Sir John to submit his final advice by spring 2010. We will consider his advice as quickly as possible and announce a payment scheme that is practical to deliver and fair to both policyholders and taxpayers.

Financial Services: Regulation

Lady Hermon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what reviews his Department has carried out of the role of the Financial Services Authority in identifying breaches and preventing losses to savers in respect of the conduct of regulated activities by industrial and provident societies in  (a) Northern Ireland and  (b) the UK in the last three years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Industrial and Provident Societies (IPSs) in Northern Ireland are registered under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act (Northern Ireland) 1969. In July 2009 the Treasury issued a 'Review of the Legislative Framework for Credit Unions and Industrial Provident Societies in Northern Ireland'. The Review recommended that the Northern Ireland authorities should consider what can be done to improve Northern Ireland legislation governing IPSs, with the aim of improving member information and governance.
	In Great Britain, Industrial and Provident Societies are subject to the Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1965. The 'Review of the Legislative Framework' recommended that, in Great Britain, the Financial Services Authority and the sector should identify an appropriate approach to minimise the risk of money laundering and improve transparency between IPSs and their members.
	The Review concluded by recommending that the Northern Ireland authorities, the Treasury and the FSA, working together to develop a unified regime that protects societies and their members, should achieve an integrated approach across the UK.

Government Assets

Nigel Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the monetary value of the portfolio of non-financial assets the Government proposes to sell  (a) when they were acquired by the Government and  (b) at the time of the proposed sale.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 2 November 2009
	As I announced on 12 October, a portfolio of assets for sale, and assets where there is the potential for alternative ownership options, will be published in the coming months.
	The publication of the value of Government assets ahead of any commercial negotiations would undermine the value for money of any disposal. Departmental and national accounts provide some details of the book values of Government assets.

Government Assets

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions officials of his Department had with local government officials on the proposed sale of Government assets.

Liam Byrne: Treasury Ministers and officials have discussions with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such representations.

Income Tax

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are  (a) in each income tax band and  (b) paying no income tax in 2009-10.

Stephen Timms: Estimates for 2009-10 of the number of taxpayers by marginal rate of tax are shown in Table 2.1 "Number of individual income taxpayers", available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_tax/menu.htm
	The information is based on the Survey of Personal Incomes of which 2006-07 is the latest available, and projected in line with Budget 2009 assumptions.
	The estimated number of non-taxpayers can be found by subtracting the number of taxpayers from the latest population projection published on the Office for National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=8519

Kaupthing, Singer and Friedlander

Roger Gale: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to take steps to assist UK citizens who have lost funds invested in Kaupthing Singer, Isle of Man which were subsequently transferred to London.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander Isle of Man (KSF IoM) is not a subsidiary of KSF in the UK, but of the Icelandic parent company. Oversight of KSF IoM is the responsibility of the Isle of Man's Financial Supervision Commission. Arrangements for depositors in KSF IoM are a matter for the Isle of Man Government.
	Both KSF IoM and KSF UK are subject to insolvency proceedings in their respective jurisdictions.

Mortgages: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information his Department holds on the number and proportion of mortgage applications by residents of  (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford and  (b) the London Borough of Bexley which were granted in each of the last 24 months.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government do not hold this information. The Bank of England publishes data on mortgage approvals. These are available at:
	http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/statistics/li/current/index.htm

Northern Rock

Caroline Flint: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much Government lending to Northern Rock has been repaid to date.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Northern Rock published its third quarter trading statement on 4 November 2009. This reported that the gross loan outstanding to the Government stood at £14.5 billion at 30 September 2009. After deducting liquidity balances held with the Bank of England the net loan at 30 September 2009 stood at £10.9 billion. The gross and net loan outstanding at 31 December 2007 was £26.9 billion. To date, Northern Rock have repaid £12.4 billion and £16.0 billion in gross and net terms, respectively.
	The Government announced in February of this year that in order to enable Northern Rock to undertake increased levels of new lending, the bank will be restructured so that the back book of mortgages are managed separately to its other business. The Government also announced at the time that they will increase the loan to Northern Rock and extend the repayment schedule as part of plans to restructure the company.
	Following last month's state aid approval from the European Commission, the Government are working with the company to finalise the details of the restructuring, including the revised repayment schedule for the Government loan.

Public Expenditure: Northern Ireland

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been contributed from the Exchequer to EU programmes in Northern Ireland in each year since 2005.

Liam Byrne: EU Programmes in Northern Ireland are funded by the European Commission and are paid by the EU to the Northern Ireland Executive. Since 2005 EU receipts have been treated as negative public expenditure, which offsets the spending of the receipts within the Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL). The effect of this is that the funds are fully additional to the DEL spending funded by the Exchequer and determined by the Barnett Formula.

Public Expenditure: South West

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much public funding has been allocated to  (a) Cornwall and  (b) the Isles of Scilly in each year since 1997.

Liam Byrne: Public funding from central Government grants allocated to Cornwall county council and the council of the Isles of Scilly for the years 1997-98 to 2007-08 is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  £000 
			   Cornwall  Isles of Scilly 
			 1997-98 235,095 2,132 
			 1998-99 248,609 2,107 
			 1999-2000 273,730 2,215 
			 2000-01 298,121 2,438 
			 2001-02 327,356 2,815 
			 2002-03 349,280 3,512 
			 2003-04 386,681 3,533 
			 2004-05 435,398 3,832 
			 2005-06 453,576 4,117 
			 2006-07 464,067 4,467 
			 2007-08 499,465 4,877 
		
	
	The lowest level at which total public expenditure information is available is the region. Total identifiable expenditure on services in the South West can be found in the Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis 2009 (CM 7630). Please see the following link for the relevant chapters of PESA 2009:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/pesa09_chapter9.pdf

Taxation

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what tax schemes have been closed as a result of the retrospective application of legislation since 1997.

Stephen Timms: Legislation enacted with retrospective effect (to a date before the announcement date) is rarely used. A separate record has only been kept since 2004.
	Since December 2004 the following schemes have been closed by legislation enacted with retrospective effect:
	Section 92 Finance Act 2006 (avoidance using options etc);
	Section 58 Finance Act 2008 (UK residents and foreign partnerships);
	Section 67 Finance Act 2009 (deductions for employee liabilities);
	Section 68 Finance Act 2009 (employment loss relief); and
	Section 61 and schedule 30 FA 2009 (Financial arrangements avoidance).

Taxation: Aviation

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment has been made of the effect of increases in air passenger duty on small regional airports.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: In line with Cabinet Office guidance, HMRC conducted an impact assessment of the new banding system and published it on its website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ria/apd-reform-ia.pdf

Taxation: Aviation

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue was received from  (a) air passenger duty,  (b) tax on insurance and  (c) all indirect taxation in the latest period for which figures are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Receipts from air passenger duty, insurance premium tax and the total for indirect taxes are published on a monthly basis in the National Statistics Table 1.3a available from the HMRC website at
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tax_receipts/table1-3a.xls

Taxation: Corporate Hospitality

Jo Swinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 2 November 2009,  Official Report, columns 783-84W, on taxation: corporate hospitality, when his Department plans to publish its guidance on businesses claiming tax back on corporate entertainment in lapdancing clubs referred to by the Minister for Women and Equality in media interviews in September 2009; and what steps his Department is taking to prevent the use of receipts which do not disclose the nature of the entertainment provided in order to reclaim VAT paid on corporate entertainment in lapdancing clubs.

Stephen Timms: As covered by my answer of 2 November 2009,  Official Report, columns 783-84W, HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) published guidance at
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/bimmanual/BIM45000.htm
	deals with the issue of how the tax system treats business entertainment expenses (including any incurred in lapdancing clubs).
	VAT incurred by business in respect of corporate entertainment is not recoverable regardless of the nature of that entertainment. Guidance on that was published in HMRC Notice 700/65, Business entertainment, available at:
	http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=;true&_pageLabel=page VAT_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_000092&propertyType= document
	Where a business seeks to recover VAT, HMRC insist that a VAT invoice is retained to evidence the tax paid. That invoice must in all circumstances contain a description sufficient to identify the goods and services supplied.

Wikimedia UK: Taxation

Stephen Pound: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what stage has been reached in the appeal lodged with HM Revenue and Customs by Wikimedia UK in respect of its application for charitable tax status.

Stephen Timms: I am not able to provide information about the affairs of individual taxpayers.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Council Housing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what date the consultation on draft statutory guidance on social housing allocations for local authorities in England closed; how many responses to the consultation were received; if he will place in the Library a copy of each response; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Austin: The consultation period for the draft statutory allocations guidance closed on 23 October; over 130 responses have been received. A summary of the responses to consultation will be published on the Department's website within three months of the close of consultation. Individual responses will be made available on request, unless respondents have asked that they be treated as confidential.

Council Housing: Property Transfer

Neil Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities have transferred housing to registered social landlords through large-scale voluntary transfers since 1997; how many dwellings have been so transferred in the period; and how much debt was written off as part of such transfers.

Ian Austin: Since 1997 there have been 226 transfers by 140 local authorities with 939,347 dwellings transferred. The amount of debt the Department has paid to the Public Works Loans Boards in respect of completed housing stock transfers to date is £4.124 billion.

Departmental Air Travel

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many domestic flights within Great Britain officials from his Department made in 2008-09; and at what cost.

Barbara Follett: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Fraud

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many employees of his Department and its predecessors were convicted of an offence of fraud in each of the last 10 years.

Barbara Follett: Our records, which do not go back further than 2003, show that, since that date two members of staff have committed fraud against the Department. Both were successfully prosecuted. Another member of staff was convicted of a fraud not connected with the Department's business.

Housing Associations: Insurance

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how long it takes on average for insurance claims to be processed by housing associations;
	(2)  what measures housing associations have in place to prevent insurance fraud;
	(3)  what recent guidelines his Department has issued in respect of insurance coverage and liabilities for housing associations;
	(4)  what his most recent estimate is of the total amount of liabilities for which housing associations are charged; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  what total premium was paid by housing associations for insurance cover in each year since 1997;
	(6)  how many insurance claims were made by housing associations in each year since 1997;
	(7)  what recent consideration he has given to extending the liabilities covered by housing associations; and if he will make a statement;
	(8)  when he last discussed housing association insurance with representatives of housing associations; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Austin: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave him on 4 November 2009,  Official Report, columns 1067-1068W.
	The Government do not hold any information pertaining to insurance cover for the activities of housing associations. Social landlords will wish to ensure that they have appropriate arrangements for their circumstances.

Housing Corporation: Public Relations

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 4 June 2009,  Official Report, column 678W, on the Housing Corporation: public relations, if he will place in the Library a copy of the article written by the Chairman of the Housing Corporation; and what the nature was of the consultancy work undertaken in respect of transition.

John Healey: I have placed a copy of the article written by the consultancy firm ACPO for the Chairman of the Housing Corporation in the Library of the House.
	No further details are available on the nature of the consultancy work undertaken in respect of transition.

Housing: Sustainable Development

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much has been spent by the Homes and Communities Agency Academy on  (a) developing,  (b) publicising and (c) providing continuing support for the foundation degree in sustainable communities offered by Salford University; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The development costs associated with the foundation degree in sustainable communities at Salford university are £1,980, covering the costs of the HCA's university adviser. The majority of the publicity has been covered by Salford university through their normal marketing and promotional channels, however the cost of a promotional video associated with Salford university was £1,681. The continued support costs are £5,000 for 2009-10. The total costs are therefore £8,661, which equates to a cost per person to date of £376.57. The foundation degree aims to develop the practical skills and values necessary for success in delivering regeneration and sustainable communities.

Non-Domestic Rates: Ports

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations he has received on the payment of backdated business rates in ports; and if he will make a statement.

Barbara Follett: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) on 16 September 2009,  Official Report, columns 2218-19W.
	Since that date, the Department of Communities and Local Government has received further representations, from a trade association, and from two MPs, on behalf of businesses in Ports.

Non-Domestic Rates: Public Houses

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether a public house which has diversified to offer  (a) post office or banking facilities and  (b) limited retail sales, will have the income from such activities taken into account, when the Valuation Office Agency rates the hereditament for the 2010 business rates revaluation; and whether such facilities may act as a material consideration in affecting the rateable value.

Barbara Follett: The contribution of any ancillary activities to the effective use of a property as measured by the rental market is used as the reference point for the rating assessment. Circumstances will vary, but unless the ancillary activity yields significant potential for additional maintainable trade in its own right, it is unlikely to result in an increased rating assessment on the pub.
	The five-yearly business rates revaluations make sure each business pays its fair contribution and no more by ensuring that the share of the national rates bill paid by any one business reflects changes over time in the value of their property relative to others. The 2010 revaluation will not raise a single extra penny for Government.
	Over a million properties will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation. The Government intend to put in place a £2 billion relief scheme to limit the impact on the minority with bill increases. This is on top of the wider support available to help ease business pressures including discounted rate bills for small businesses and deferring tax payments.

Non-Domestic Rates: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the 2010 non-domestic rate revaluation is to be revenue-neutral  (a) in the first year of operation and  (b) over the five-year rating cycle.

Barbara Follett: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mr. Jackson) by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Housing on 12 March 2009,  Official Report, column 752W.

Non-Domestic Rates: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in what ways the Valuation Office Agency's methodology and guidance for valuing car parking spaces has changed since May 1997.

Barbara Follett: There have been no significant changes since May 1997 in the Valuation Office Agency's methodology and guidance for valuing car spaces, which is set out in Rating Manual Volume 5 Section 200 for Car Parks and in the individual practice note issued for each five yearly revaluation. The methodology has remained one of Rental Comparison by parking space. Current and earlier practice notes can be compared on the Valuation Office Agency's web site at:
	www.voa.gov.uk

Playing Fields: Planning Permission

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he plans to update Planning Policy Guidance 17, with particular reference to provisions for playing fields.

Ian Austin: holding answer 5 November 2009
	As part of the reform of the planning system, we intend to consolidate and streamline planning policy on open space, and sport and recreation (PPG17); biodiversity and geodiversity (PPS9); and landscape and soil (part of PPS7). We aim to consult on our proposals by the end of the year.

Property Development: Green Belt

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what his policy is on the provision of open spaces in proposed developments on green belt land;
	(2)  what requirements must be satisfied before planning approval is given for development on green belt land.

Ian Austin: Planning policy guidance note 17, Planning for Open Space, Sport and Recreation, states that local planning authorities should undertake rigorous assessments of the needs of their communities for open space. This enables them to set their own open space standards which take into account local circumstances, including the extent of development. It is for local authorities to determine how much open space should be provided as part of a new development, whether in the green belt or elsewhere.
	Under our plan-led system, all development in the countryside is strictly controlled, but in green belt there is an additional restraint-the presumption against inappropriate development. This is explained in planning policy guidance note 2, "Green Belts". Only where the harm that inappropriate development may cause to the green belt would be clearly outweighed by other considerations, and where there are very special circumstances to justify the development, should permission be granted by the planning authority.

Refuges: Domestic Violence

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent estimate he has made of the number of victims of domestic violence who are in refuge accommodation.

Ian Austin: The Department does not collect this information and it has not made an estimate of the numbers in refuge accommodation.

Rented Housing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate his Department has made of the average length of  (a) social and  (b) private domestic tenancies in each of the last five years.

Ian Austin: Estimates of the median length of time that social and private renters had occupied their current accommodation to date for each of the years 2003-04 to 2007-08 are provided in the following table. These estimates are based on data from the Survey of English Housing. Reliable data on the average length of completed tenancies is not available.
	The median is provided as it is a better indicator than the mean/average due to the small number of very long tenancies which affect the mean.
	
		
			  Median length of rental tenancies to date, England, 2003-04 to 2007-08 
			   Social renters  Private renters 
			 2003-04 7.5 1.6 
			 2004-05 7.4 1.5 
			 2005-06 7.7 1.6 
			 2006-07 7.8 1.7 
			 2007-08 7.8 1.5 
			  Source:  Survey of English Housing

Rented Housing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information his Department holds on the number of social housing tenants in each local authority area who have requested an exchange in the last 12 months.

Ian Austin: The number of requests for exchanges is not collected centrally.
	There were 14,300 local authority dwellings let through mutual exchanges between 1( )April 2007 and 31 March 2008, reported through the 2007-08 Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA). The 2008-09 HSSA will be published on 26 November, 2009. Information on registered social landlord dwellings let through mutual exchanges is not collected centrally.

Rented Housing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many social housing tenants left the sector for accommodation in  (a) the private rented sector and  (b) owner occupancy in each year since 1997.

Ian Austin: Estimates of the number of social renting households that moved into private renting and owner occupation in each year since 1997 are provided in the following table. These estimates are based on data from the Survey of English Housing.
	
		
			  Movement out of the social rented sector( 1) , England 
			   thousand 
			   Moved into owner occupation( 2)  Moved into private renting 
			 1997 n/a 55 
			 1998 87 50 
			 1999 102 52 
			 2000 102 54 
			 2001 103 58 
			 2002 96 53 
			 2003 99 48 
			 2004 95 46 
			 2005 76 47 
			 2006 51 51 
			 2007 37 47 
			 (1) Due to small sample sizes, figures are based on a three-year rolling average. 2007 represents the average for the period 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08. (2) Includes purchases by sitting tenants.  Source: Survey of English Housing.

Social Rented Housing: Chorley

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the provision of social housing in Chorley; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Austin: holding answer 2 November 2009
	In 2007 the council transferred its stock to Chorley Community Housing. Earlier this year Chorley Community Housing carried out a resident survey which indicated very high levels of satisfaction.
	The number of households on the housing waiting list in Chorley has been reduced from 1,897 in April 2007 to 1,370 in April 2008; this represents a 27.8 per cent. reduction.
	Additional social housing is being provided through the National Affordable Housing Programme (NAHP). So far Chorley has been allocated a provisional £9.58 million under the 2008-11 Programme to deliver an estimated 252 new affordable homes, of which 118 will be for social renting and 134 for low cost home ownership.

Social Rented Housing: Foreigners

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answers of 16 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1801W, and to the hon. Member for Hertsmere, column 1800W, on social rented housing: foreigners, how many new  (a) local authority social lettings and  (b) registered social landlord lettings in England were made to foreign nationals from (i) EU member states and (ii) non-EU member states in (A) 2006-07 and (B) 2007-08.

John Healey: Information on the number of foreign national households receiving social housing is collected through the Continuous Recording of Letting form (CORE). Historically CORE has only collected information from registered social landlords. An increasing number of local authorities are now providing information through this process as well, but there are still some gaps in the data. Information on lettings to foreign nationals can only be supplied in terms of European economic area (EEA) countries and not EU member states. EEA countries also include Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
	A question on nationality was first introduced to the form for the 2006-07 data collection period. For 2006-07, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Hertsmere (Mr. Clappison) on 16 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1800W. For local authorities, a split between lettings to EEA and non-EEA foreign nationals is not available.
	Estimates for 2007-08 are published on the Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/1228921.xls
	These are based on an improved imputation method to adjust for missing local authority data.

Social Rented Housing: Rents

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will provide guidance on the determination of rents to those housing associations whose rent reviews are linked to the retail price index.

Ian Austin: In July the Government launched a consultation on draft directions to the Tenant Services Authority (TSA), the new independent social housing regulator. The Government proposed to direct the TSA to set a standard on rent levels for registered social landlords that would apply from 2010-11 onwards.
	The consultation closed on 9 October and we are currently considering the responses received. We will publish our final decisions shortly.

Temporary Accommodation

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities apply a flat rate charge to tenants of temporary accommodation; and what the amount of that charge was in each such local authority.

Ian Austin: We do not keep a central record of the charges local authorities make for temporary accommodation.

Waste Disposal: Planning Permission

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many waste handling facility planning applications have been  (a) approved and  (b) rejected by local authorities since 2005.

Ian Austin: The number of waste handling facility planning applications that have been approved by local authorities since 2005 is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of waste planning applications that have been decided and granted since 2005 
			  Period  Decisions  Granted 
			 2005-06 1,200 1,076 
			 2006-07 1,107 991 
			 2007-08 1,050 969 
			 2008-09 1,045 955 
			  Note: The applications granted in the year are not necessarily the same facilities for which applications have been made in the period.  Source: Communities and Local Government, Development Control Annual Publication. 
		
	
	The number of applications refused is not published.

CABINET OFFICE

Childbirth

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many live births there were to mothers in each income decile in  (a) 2007 and  (b) the most recent year for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated November 2009:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your request on what information the Office for National Statistics holds on the number of live births there were to mothers in each income decile in (a) 2007 and (b) the most recent year for which figures are available. (298286)
	In England and Wales parental income is not collected at birth registration. I am, therefore, unable to provide you with the statistics you have requested.

Civil Servants: Compensation

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what discussions she has had with trades unions on proposed changes to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what legal advice on employment law she took before making proposals to change the Civil Service Compensation Scheme; and if she will make a statement.

Paul Holmes: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what representations her Department has received in response to the proposals for the Civil Service Compensation Scheme contained within Fairness for All; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what account she took of other severance arrangements in the public sector when proposing changes to severance arrangements in the Civil Service Compensation Scheme.

Tessa Jowell: The Prime Minister's statement on 31 March 2009,  Official Report, column 60WS, announced the Government's intention to reform the Civil Service Compensation Scheme. My officials held discussions with the trade unions and consulted legal advisers before we brought forward proposals on 31 July. In developing these proposals we took account of the range of terms available elsewhere in the public sector. Alongside the Cabinet Secretary and officials I met with the Council of Civil Service Unions on 22 September 2009.
	The Cabinet Office has received around 18,000 comments on the Fairness for All proposals, from civil servants, civil service unions, employers and others. We are considering the points made and will publish our response in due course.

Death: Drugs

Chris Grayling: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight of 2 November 2009,  Official Report, columns 687-88W, on drugs: death, what the equivalent figures to those contained in Table 1 were in each year since 1997.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated November 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight of 2 November 2009, Official Report, columns 687-88W, on drugs: death, what the equivalent figures to those contained in Table 1 were in each year since 1997. (298163)
	Figures provided in the previous Answer were the number of drug misuse deaths of persons aged (a) below 16, (b) 16 to 18, (c) 19 to 25 and (d) over 25 years of age, in England and Wales, for 2008 (the latest year available).
	Drugs classified under the Misuse of Drugs Act (1971) are termed 'controlled substances', and unlawful possession of a controlled substance is illegal, as is possession with intent to supply. Lawful possession of a controlled substance would include when the drug was in the possession of a person it had been prescribed to. It is not possible to ascertain from information collected at death certification whether a drug was obtained lawfully or not.
	The table attached provides the number of drug misuse deaths of persons aged (a) below 16, (b) 16 to 18, (c) 19 to 25 and (d) over 25 years of age, in England and Wales, for the years 1997 to 2008.
	
		
			  Table 1: Numbers of deaths related to drug misuse( 1) , by age group, England and Wales( 2) , 1997-2008( 3) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			  Year  Below 16  16-18  19-25  Over 25 
			 1997 8 51 356 897 
			 1998 4 57 318 1,078 
			 1999 6 51 313 1,258 
			 2000 2 46 297 1,259 
			 2001 4 43 335 1,424 
			 2002 6 44 317 1,246 
			 2003 5 30 240 1,157 
			 2004 4 24 248 1,219 
			 2005 8 19 222 1,359 
			 2006 6 23 222 1,322 
			 2007 4 21 204 1,375 
			 2008 9 25 206 1,498 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) for the years 1997-2000, and the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) from 2001 onwards. Deaths were included where the underlying cause was due to drug poisoning (shown in Box 1 below) and where a drug controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 was mentioned on the death certificate. (2) Figures for England and Wales includes non-residents. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Box l 
			  Description  ICD-9  ICD-10 
			 Mental and behavioural disorders due to drug use (excluding alcohol and tobacco) 292, 304, 305.2-305.9 F11-F16, F18-F19 
			 Accidental poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances E850-E858 X40-X44 
			 Intentional self-poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances E950.0-E950.5 X60-X64 
			 Assault by drugs, medicaments and biological substances E962.0 X85 
			 Poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances, undetermined intent E980.0-E980.5 Y10-Y14

Downing Street Budget

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the planned budget for the  (a) Cabinet Office and  (b) Downing Street budget, in cash terms is in each of the next three years.

Tessa Jowell: The planned budget for the Cabinet Office for 2010-11 is set out in Public Expenditure Table 1 on page 119 of the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts 2008-09. Allocations for the individual units within the Cabinet Office have not yet been set.
	Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 set the budget for the financial years 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11. The budgets for 2011-12 and 2012-13 will be set during the next spending review.

Government Departments: Data Protection

Ben Wallace: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what areas in which improvement might be made in government information security policy her Department has identified since 1997.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 21 July 2009
	 Since 1997, my Department has identified a number of significant areas of improvement made in information security policy across government. The Office of the e-Envoy was established in 1999 within the Cabinet Office and produced security policy guidance on e-government development. Sir Edmund Burton's 2001 review into information security policy provision across government recommended a central policy unit be established at the centre to lead on information security policy for government. The Central Sponsor for Information Assurance (CSIA) was duly established in 2003. CSIA published the refreshed National Information Assurance Strategy in 2007 outlining the Government's strategic approach to improve professionalism, capability, awareness and education in information security and assurance.
	In June 2008 the Cabinet Secretary published the Data Handling Report (DHR) on the security of cross-government data handling procedures which identified key areas for improvement in data security and outlined specific measures that Departments must take. In addition, the Security Policy Framework (SPF) was introduced in December 2008 to replace and update the Manual of Protective Security which had been in place since 1995 and is now the sole source upon which all departmental security policy should be based. These recent measures further reinforce the Government's strong commitment to review and address information assurance concerns and to the securing of personal data held by public authorities.

Honours: Banks

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which individuals have been awarded an honour for services to banking since 1984.

Tessa Jowell: Short citations giving brief details of the reasons for awards to those receiving honours in the Queen's Birthday and New Year's Honours Lists are published in the London Gazette.

Ministers

Peter Bone: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer from the Secretary of State for Defence of 2 November 2009,  Official Report, column 576, and the answer of 28 October 2009,  Official Report, columns 272-73, what the evidential basis was for the statement made by the Secretary of State for Defence that the Government had not amended the ranking of ministerial offices; and if she will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: I have been asked to reply.
	There has been no downgrading of the Ministry of Defence. The List of Ministerial Responsibilities, published by the Cabinet Office, is an administrative document which lists Departments in alphabetical order. The document also lists Cabinet Ministers on the basis of the date they are appointed to Cabinet.

National School of Government

John Hayes: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which companies purchased consultancy services from the National School of Government in 2008-09; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: This is a matter for the National School of Government. I have asked the principal and chief executive to respond.
	 Letter from Rod Clark, dated 3 November 2009:
	In the Written Ministerial Statement to the House on 9 January 2007 (Official Report Col 5WS), the then Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Pat McFadden MP) announced that the National School of Government was now a Non Ministerial Department. Consequently, the Minister for the Cabinet Office has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Questions about the National School of Government.
	The National School has income from consultancy of £2,616,000 in 2008-09 out of total income of £29,368,000. (PQ 287739).
	The National School does the large majority of its business with the public sector. In 2008-09 the only consultancy work we carried out for private sector companies was with Liberata UK Limited and Logica.
	Copies of the table showing the full list of organisations for which we did consultancy work in the year will be placed in the house Library.
	In addition I would note that the Department for International Development commissions the School to carry out international work as part of the UK aid programme and thus some of the work paid for by DfID was carried out for foreign governments. (PQ 287747).

Poverty

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate the UK Statistics Authority has made of the number of households in  (a) England,  (b) the North East,  (c) Tees Valley and  (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency which have left poverty since 1997.

Helen Goodman: I have been asked to reply.
	Poverty statistics, published in the households below average income series, only allow a breakdown of the overall number of people in relative poverty at Government office region level or for inner or outer London. Therefore, information for the Tees Valley, or Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland constituency is not available.
	Estimates of the number of households who have left poverty are not available, as each year different households are surveyed to produce low income statistics in the households below average series. However, I am able to provide information about the net change in the number of households with incomes below 60 per cent. of contemporary median income over the period requested for England and the north-east.
	Between 1997-98 and 2007-08, the number of households with incomes below 60 per cent. of contemporary median income in England rose by 100,000 before housing costs and fell by 400,000 after housing costs. Over the same period, the total number of households in England rose by 1.4 million.
	For the north-east, three years of data have had to be combined due to survey volatility. Between 1997-98 to 1999-2000 and 2005-06 to 2007-08, the number of households with incomes below 60 per cent. of contemporary median income in the north-east stayed at the same level before housing costs, but fell by 100,000 after housing costs. Over the same period, the total number of households in the north-east stayed at the same level.
	 Notes:
	1. These statistics are based on households below average income, sourced from the Family Resources Survey. The Family Resources Survey is available in the Library.
	2. Small changes should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response.
	3. The reference period for households below average income figures are single financial years. For the north-east, three years of data have had to be combined due to survey volatility.
	4. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication "Households Below Average Income" (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or 'equivalised') for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living.
	5. For the households below average income series, incomes have been equivalised using Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) equivalisation factors.
	6. Change in numbers of households in low income and overall have been rounded to the nearest hundred thousand.

Vacancies

David Amess: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the latest estimate is of the number of job vacancies in the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated November 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the latest estimate is of the number of job vacancies in the UK. (298267)
	The Office for National Statistics estimates the number of vacancies from the Vacancy Survey for the United Kingdom.
	The latest, seasonally adjusted estimate is that there were 434,000 vacancies in the United Kingdom over the 3 month period from July to September 2009.

Teenage Fathers

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what information the Office of National Statistics holds on the number of teenage fathers in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated November 2009:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your request on what information the Office for National Statistics holds on the number of teenage fathers in each of the last five years. (297959)
	The Office for National Statistics publishes figures compiled from data collected at birth registration. Figures on the number of births registered to teenage fathers in England and Wales each year can be found in the annual publication FMl Birth Statistics:
	www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=5768
	Volumes covering the five years up to 2007 are currently available and the 2008 volume is provisionally due for release in December 2009.
	Table 3.4 in each volume of FMl Birth Statistics shows the number of live births by age of father (single years of age) for births within marriage and births jointly registered by both parents. In 2007, for example, there were 590 live births registered within marriage to fathers aged under 20 in England and Wales and 12,994 live births outside marriage jointly registered to fathers under 20.
	Please note that information on father's age is not available for births registered solely by the mother. Therefore the number of births registered to fathers aged under 20 (within marriage and jointly registered outside marriage) does not represent the total number of births to teenage fathers in England and Wales.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Social Fund: Working Tax Credit

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will make it her policy to extend access to the social fund to those on working tax credit; and if she will make a statement.

Helen Goodman: There are no plans at present to extend access to the discretionary social fund to those in receipt of working tax credit. However, people in receipt of working tax credit have access to crisis loans if they have insufficient resources to meet their immediate short-term needs.
	People in receipt of working tax credit that includes a disability element or who are also in receipt of the highest rate of child tax credit are eligible to apply for funeral payments and sure start maternity grants available through the regulated social fund.

Attendance Allowance: St Albans

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid in attendance allowance to residents of St Albans constituency in each of the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The available information is in the table.
	
		
			  Attendance all owance expenditure in St Alban s parliamentary constituency 
			   Cash  2009-10 prices 
			 2004-05 4.2 4.7 
			 2005-06 4.6 5.0 
			 2006-07 4.8 5.1 
			 2007-08 5.0 5.2 
			 2008-09 5.4 5.4 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are in £ million and rounded to the nearest £100,000. 2. Tables containing benefit expenditure by benefit, departmental strategic objective, local authority and parliamentary constituency can be found at the following link and a copy has been placed in the Library: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/medium_term.asp  Source: DWP Statistical and Accounting Data.

Carer's Allowance

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans her Department has for the future of the carer's allowance; and if she will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: I refer my hon. Friend to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Edinburgh, North and Leith (Mark Lazarowicz) on 28 October 2009,  Official Report, columns 355-56W.

Children: Maintenance

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much  (a) the Child Support Agency and  (b) the Child Maintenance Enforcement Commission have outstanding in child support payments; and by how many people these sums are owed.

Helen Goodman: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much  (a) the Child Support Agency and  (b) the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission have outstanding in child support payments; and by how many people these sums are owed.
	The information requested is provided in the attached table which shows the amount of arrears owed by non-resident parents (NRPs) to the Secretary of State (SoS) and the parent with care (PWC) and the number of NRPs the arrears are owed by.
	
		
			  Arrears outstanding: September 2009 
			   Total  SoS  PWC 
			   CS2  CSCS  CS2  CSCS  CS2  CSCS 
			 Number of NRPs 678,500 308,300 353,200 173,600 586,800 205,700 
			 Arrears (£ billion) 1.98 1.89 0.85 1.04 1.13 0.86 
			  Notes:  1. The Child Support Agency operates cases under two computer systems, CSCS and CS2.  2. The breakdown of non resident parents (NRPs) with outstanding arrears owed to Secretary of State (SoS) and Parent with Care (PwC) will be greater than the total number of non resident parents with arrears as some NRPs will owe money to both SoS and PWC.  3. In the information provided some cases have been excluded where the parent with care owes money. These cases are accounted for in Agency arrears figures, including those used in the Agency's Quarterly Summary of Statistics, which will therefore differ from figures in this response.

Cold Weather Payments: St Albans

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cold weather payments have been made to residents of St Albans constituency in each year since 2003.

Helen Goodman: The St Albans constituency is currently linked to three weather stations. The postcode districts in St Albans constituency and the associated weather station for each year are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Postcode district  Weather station  Years 
			 AL1-4 Andrewsfield 2002-03 onwards 
			 HP3 Bracknell 2002-03 
			 HP3 High Wycombe 2003-04 onwards 
			 WD2, 4-5, 7, 25 Heathrow 2002-03 onwards 
		
	
	The numbers of times cold weather payments have been triggered at these weather stations in each year since 2002-03 are given in the table.
	
		
			  Cold weather payment triggers at each weather station 
			   Andrewsfield  Bracknell  High Wycombe  Heathrow 
			 2002-03 1 1 (1)- 0 
			 2003-04 0 (1)- 0 0 
			 2004-05 0 (1)- 0 0 
			 2005-06 0 (1)- 0 0 
			 2006-07 0 (1)- 0 0 
			 2007-08 0 (1)- 0 0 
			 2008-09 3 (1)- 3 1 
			 (1)Denotes not applicable: the weather station was not used in the cold weather payment scheme in that year.   Source: DWP records. 
		
	
	It is not possible to give the estimated number of payments made in 2002-03 and 2008-09 to residents of St Albans constituency as this information is not available at constituency level but by weather station only (and the above weather stations cover a wider area than just this constituency).

Council Tax Benefit

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid out in council tax benefit as a proportion of council tax receipts in each year since 1997.

Helen Goodman: The available information on council tax benefit expenditure is in the following table.
	
		
			  Council tax benefit expenditure, by country since 1997 in cash terms 
			  £ million, cash 
			   England  Wales  Scotland  Great Britain 
			 1997-98 2,014 94 287 2,395 
			 1998-99 2,046 103 303 2,452 
			 1999-2000 2,096 108 307 2,511 
			 2000-01 2,146 119 310 2,575 
			 2001-02 2,246 124 316 2,686 
			 2002-03 2,381 131 322 2,834 
			 2003-04 2,744 142 337 3,223 
			 2004-05 3,039 160 358 3,557 
			 2005-06 3,230 176 368 3,774 
			 2006-07 3,386 184 373 3,943 
			 2007-08 3,468 189 366 4,023 
			  Note: Includes all expenditure whether funded by central or local government.  Source: Local Authority Council Tax Benefit subsidy claims 
		
	
	Council tax receipts in England are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government; in Scotland they are a matter for the Scottish Parliament; and in Wales they are a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.

Council Tax Benefit

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of households in each  (a) region and  (b) local authority area were in receipt of council tax benefit in each of the last three years.

Helen Goodman: The available information has been placed in the Library.

Council Tax Benefit

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households in  (a) private,  (b) local authority and  (c) registered social landlord rented homes were in receipt of (i) housing and (ii) council tax benefit in each region in each year since 1997.

Helen Goodman: The available information has been placed in the Library.

Council Tax Benefit

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households in each region were in receipt of council tax benefit in each year since 1997.

Helen Goodman: The available information is in the following tables.
	
		
			  Number of households receiving council tax benefit by Government Office Region in Great Britain: May 1997 to May 2009 
			   May 1997  May 1998  May 1999  May 2000  May 2001  May 2002  May 2003 
			 Great Britain 5,498,250 5,325,660 5,166,070 4,830,060 4,673,370 4,601,730 4,627,780 
			 North East 333,100 321,980 316,160 301,800 296,110 289,750 288,820 
			 North West 790,900 764,200 735,230 690,890 658,710 649,100 639,210 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 524,430 507,130 494,770 454,910 437,500 428,430 434,520 
			 East Midlands 359,650 344,010 336,800 316,180 305,450 288,990 296,330 
			 West Midlands 538,660 524,940 505,820 474,790 463,370 458,530 462,340 
			 East 408,580 390,820 377,670 353,800 341,240 335,910 342,330 
			 London 759,720 728,260 692,540 628,650 607,160 615,320 633,530 
			 South East 525,200 500,740 480,300 448,720 431,710 424,700 432,000 
			 South West 385,960 370,780 354,930 338,910 326,180 320,080 321,860 
			 Wales 287,000 282,680 277,240 267,200 263,930 260,290 257,440 
			 Scotland 585,050 590,130 594,610 554,230 542,000 530,640 519,390 
		
	
	
		
			   May 2004  May 2005  May 2006  May 2007  November 2008  May 2009 
			 Great Britain 4,800,220 4,959,690 5,049,970 5,076,940 5,152,270 5,428,230 
			 North East 291,340 294,480 294,770 294,630 296,580 309,980 
			 North West 662,830 676,150 679,830 682,560 685,800 712,430 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 436,650 448,750 457,810 460,700 464,280 491,470 
			 East Midlands 309,810 324,080 334,860 336,400 349,430 375,020 
			 West Midlands 468,410 482,030 499,200 503,850 514,480 544,370 
			 East 357,400 371,370 383,960 391,350 405,300 429,980 
			 London 672,070 708,440 717,610 724,440 728,320 751,040 
			 South East 457,360 481,010 497,190 502,220 520,140 556,400 
			 South West 337,770 354,720 365,610 368,860 377,750 406,240 
			 Wales 266,870 274,800 282,290 282,250 289,440 304,000 
			 Scotland 539,710 543,870 536,850 529,680 520,760 547,300 
			  Notes: 1. The data refers to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. The figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Figures may not sum due to rounding. 4. Council Tax Benefit figures exclude any Single Adult Rebate cases.  Sources: Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. taken in May 1997 to May 2007; and Single Housing Benefit Extract (SHBE) for November 2008 and May 2009. For an understanding of improvements in methodology for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit caseload National Statistics, please visit: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/hb_ctb/Methodology_revision_webpage.pdf

Credit Unions

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in which local authority areas credit unions and similar organisations have received funding from the Growth Fund in all rounds of funding to date.

Helen Goodman: holding answer 26 October 2009
	The information has been placed in the House of Commons Library. It provides details of local authority areas where Growth Fund contracted organisations, including Credit Unions and Community Development Finance Institutions, are located.
	Over 184,000 people have benefited from affordable loans with coverage extending beyond named local authority boundaries.
	Growth Fund is focused on the areas of highest financial exclusion and an extra £18.75 million from the April budget is helping us reach more of these areas and help more people.

Crisis Loans

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many crisis loans in each of the last 24 months were for  (a) living expenses,  (b) items and  (c) living expenses and items; and if she will make a statement.

Helen Goodman: The information requested is not available.

Departmental Motor Vehicles

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much her Department spent on hire vehicles in each of the last five financial years.

Jim Knight: Information is not available for 2004-05 or 2005-06. The amount spent on the hire of vehicles in the last three years is as follows:
	
		
			   £  m illion 
			 2006-07 1.5 
			 2007-08 1.5 
			 2008-09 2.3 
		
	
	Please note that these figures do not include use of the Government Car Service.
	The increase in hire costs of £0.8 million is offset by a reduction of £3.6 million in 2008-09 of personal car costs, reflecting a policy to reduce personal car use.
	The figures provided should be read in the context of a Department of over 100,000 staff operating from over 1,000 office locations across the country.

Employment Support Allowance: Autism

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps her Department has taken to ensure that autistic people are informed about entitlement to employment support allowance.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department is working with a wide range of organisations, including the Department of Health and the National Autistic Society, to identify ways in which its services can be improved for people with autism. In particular, the Department is working with both organisations following the recent consultation, led by the Department of Health, 'A better future: a consultation on a future strategy for adults with autistic spectrum conditions' and the publication on 15 October 2009 of the Public Accounts Committee report 'Supporting people with autism through adulthood'. Both these publications make wide-ranging recommendations and formal responses to both will be made in due course.
	Jobcentre Plus, an Executive Agency of the Department for Work and Pensions, delivers services to a wide range of customers, including those with autism. Disability Employment Advisers within Jobcentres have received formal training which includes autism interview skills and all Jobcentres have access to their services.

Employment: Autism

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of people with autism are in employment in Birmingham;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of levels of access to employment for adults with autism; and if she will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information requested is not available.

Employment: Lone Parents

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many lone parents with school-age children have moved from welfare into work  (a) in the Doncaster local authority area and  (b) in England in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Helen Goodman: The available information is in the following table:
	
		
			  Estimate of income support lone parents with school-aged children who moved from welfare to work in a recent five-year period 
			   Doncaster local area  England 
			 2004-05 460 51,500 
			 2005-06 440 54,000 
			 2006-07 400 50,600 
			 2007-08 420 54,700 
			 2008-09 460 59,100 
			  Notes:  1. The England figures include Doncaster. 2. The data includes only those lone parents who leave income support (IS) into employment.  3. The data excludes lone parents who move into employment but remain on benefit.  4. School-aged children are taken to be those children aged 5 to 15.   Source:  Estimates based on Department for Work and Pensions benefits administrative data and Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs P45 employment data.

Housing Benefit

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of households in each  (a) region and  (b) local authority area was in receipt of housing benefit in each of the last three years.

Helen Goodman: The available information has been placed in the Library.

Housing Benefit

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when she plans to publish the results of her Department's consultation on changes to the local housing allowance.

Helen Goodman: holding answer 2 November 2009
	The Department consulted on proposals to remove the up to £15 weekly housing benefit excess that customers can receive over and above their contractual rent under the local housing allowance arrangements. In addition to the consultation carried out by the Department, the Social Security Advisory Committee also carried out a consultation. We are considering carefully the responses to the consultation and the recommendations made by the Social Security Advisory Committee, and will announce our response in due course.

Housing Benefit

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost of housing benefit rent rebates was in  (a) England and  (b) London in (i) 1980, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1995 and (iv) in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Helen Goodman: The available information is in the following table:
	
		
			  Housing benefit rent rebate expenditure 
			  £ million 
			   England  London 
			 1980-81 2,306 - 
			 1990-91 2,709 - 
			
			 1995-96 4,537 1,149 
			
			 2003-04 4,220 1,317 
			 2004-05 4,373 1,480 
			 2005-06 4,419 1,579 
			 2006-07 4,505 1,671 
			 2007-08 4,579 1,742 
			  Notes:  1. Figures include all rent rebate expenditure, whether funded by central or local government.  2. Figures are in millions of pounds.  3. Figures are in cash terms.  4. Information for London is not available for 1989-90 and 1990-91.   Source:  Local authority subsidy claims.

Housing Benefit: Council Tax Benefit

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what percentage of  (a) housing benefit and  (b) council tax benefit recipients were (i) of working age and (ii) elderly in each year since 1997.

Helen Goodman: The available information is in the tables.
	
		
			  Number and proportion of housing benefit recipients by working/pension age: Great Britain May 1997-May 2003 
			 Percentage of recipients aged 
			   Aged 60 and over  Aged under 60  60 and over  Under 60 
			 May 1997 1,853,000 2,786,000 39.9 60.1 
			 May 1998 1,826,000 2,649,000 40.8 59.2 
			 May 1999 1,769,000 2,544,000 41.0 59.0 
			 May 2000 1,693,000 2,340,000 42.0 58.0 
			 May 2001 1,664,000 2,211,000 42.9 57.1 
			 May 2002 1,627,000 2,186,000 42.7 57.3 
			 May 2003 1,598,000 2,198,000 42.1 57.9 
		
	
	
		
			  Number and percentage of housing benefit recipients by working/pension age: Great Britain May 2004-May 2007 
			 Percentage of recipients aged 
			   Aged 60 and over  Aged under 60  60 and over  Under 60 
			 May 2004 1,550,790 2,328,630 40.0 60.0 
			 May 2005 1,518,010 2,438,800 38.4 61.6 
			 May 2006 1,491,060 2,498,970 37.4 62.6 
			 May 2007 1,495,140 2,536,670 37.1 62.9 
		
	
	
		
			  Number and percentage of housing benefit recipients by working/pension age: Great Britain November 2008-May 2009 
			 Percentage of recipients aged 
			   Aged 60 and over  Aged under 60  60 and over  Under 60 
			 November 2008 1,512,650 2,638,680 36.3 63.3 
			 May 2009 1,522,930 2,854,230 34.6 64.8 
		
	
	
		
			  Number and proportion of council tax benefit recipients by working/pension age: Great Britain May 1997-May 2003 
			 Percentage of recipients aged 
			   Aged 60 and over  Aged under 60  60 and over  Under 60 
			 May 1997 2,646,000 2,853,000 48.1 51.9 
			 May 1998 2,614,000 2,712,000 49.1 50.9 
			 May 1999 2,542,000 2,624,000 49.2 50.8 
			 May 2000 2,419,000 2,411,000 50.1 49.9 
			 May 2001 2,403,000 2,270,000 51.4 48.6 
			 May 2002 2,362,000 2,240,000 51.3 48.7 
			 May 2003 2,357,000 2,271,000 50.9 49.1 
		
	
	
		
			  Number and proportion of council tax benefit recipients by working/pension age: Great Britain May 2004-May 2007 
			 Percentage of recipients aged 
			   Aged 60 and over  Aged under 60  60 and over  Under 60 
			 May 2004 2,406,780 2,393,440 50.1 49.9 
			 May 2005 2,444,610 2,515,090 49.3 50.7 
			 May 2006 2,470,760 2,579,210 48.9 51.1 
			 May 2007 2,519,820 2,557,120 49.6 50.4 
		
	
	
		
			  Number and proportion of council tax benefit recipients by working/pension age: Great Britain November 2008-May 2009 
			 Percentage of recipients aged 
			   Aged 60 and over  Aged under 60  60 and over  Under 60 
			 November 2008 2,542,440 2,600,860 49.3 50.5 
			 May 2009 2,564,580 2,822,800 47.2 52.0 
			  Notes: 1. The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. Information for 1997-2003 is based on a 1 per cent. sample and is therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation. 3. The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 4. Figures for 1997-2003 have been rounded to the nearest thousand. Figures for 2004-2009 have been rounded to the nearest ten. 5. Figures for any non-responding authorities have been estimated. 6. Housing benefit figures exclude any extended payment cases. 7. Council tax benefit figures exclude any single adult rebate cases.  Sources: Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System, Annual 1 per cent. sample, taken from May 1997-May 2003: Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. taken in May 2004-May 2007: and Single Housing Benefit Extract (SHBE) for May 2009 taken from table 8 and table 14 of publication at http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/hb_ctb/HBCTB19082009.xls 
		
	
	For an understanding of improvements in methodology for housing benefit and council tax benefit case load National Statistics, please visit:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/hb_ctb/Methodology_revision_ webpage.pdf

Local Housing Allowance

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are in receipt of local housing allowance in each local authority area.

Helen Goodman: The available information has been placed in the Library.

Local Housing Allowance

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many responses she has received to the consultation document Changes to the local housing allowance: consultation on draft regulations.

Helen Goodman: The Department for Work and Pensions consulted over the summer on proposals to remove the up to £15 weekly excess that customers can receive over and above their contractual rent under the local housing allowance arrangements. In addition, the Social Security Advisory Committee also carried out a consultation. The overall number of responses to both consultations amounted to 38 of which 24 were specific to the Department for Work and Pensions.

Local Housing Allowance

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many local housing allowance claimants receive the maximum excess payment of £15.

Helen Goodman: This information is not available.

Local Housing Allowance

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the cost to local authorities of administering the proposed withdrawal of excess payments to local housing allowance claimants.

Helen Goodman: The Department has not undertaken a specific exercise to identify the costs of implementing this proposal to local authorities. However, local authorities are normally expected to absorb the cost of such amendments.

Members: Pensions

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the Pension Protection Fund Levy has received contributions from the Parliamentary Pension Scheme since 2004.

Angela Eagle: The Parliamentary Contributory Pension Fund is not an eligible occupational pension scheme for the purposes of qualification for the Pension Protection Fund and therefore does not pay the pension protection levy.

New Deal for Lone Parents

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether any financial penalty applies to claimants in respect of the New Deal for Lone Parents if the interviewer does not consider the interview was satisfactory.

Helen Goodman: If a lone parent agrees to take advantage of the support available via the new deal for lone parents they will be invited to a series of non-mandatory meetings with their personal adviser to discuss what they will need to do and the support available to them, to help them into work. Non-attendance or non-participation at these meetings, or non-compliance with the actions agreed, does not result in a financial sanction to benefit.

Pension Credit

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households in  (a) the UK,  (b) Derbyshire and  (c) West Derbyshire received pension credit in each year since its inception.

Angela Eagle: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			  Households in receipt of pension credit 
			   Great Britain  Derbyshire county  West Derbyshire parliamentary constituency 
			 November 2003 2,084,700 25,700 2,470 
			 February 2004 2,282,290 28,620 2,840 
			 February 2005 2,654,670 34,400 3,550 
			 February 2006 2,709,220 35,130 3,550 
			 February 2007 2,730,940 35,280 3,570 
			 February 2008 2,723,140 34,900 3,500 
			 February 2009 2,723,610 34,670 3,520 
			  Notes: 1. The number of households in receipt are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a partner.  Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Social Security Benefits

John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people claimed each type of benefit in  (a) each parliamentary constituency in Scotland and  (b) the UK in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The requested information has been placed in the Library.

Social Security Benefits: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many residents in  (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford and  (b) the London Borough of Bexley are in receipt of (i) housing benefit and (ii) council tax benefit.

Helen Goodman: The available information is in the table.
	
		
			  Recipients of housing benefit and council tax benefit in the London borough of Bexley, May 2009 
			   Number 
			 Housing benefit recipients 12,330 
			 Council tax benefit recipients 16,060 
			  Notes:  1. The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple.  2. The figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.  3. Housing benefit figures exclude any extended payment cases.  4. Council tax benefit figures exclude second adult rebates.   Source: Single Housing Benefit Extract (SHBE) for May 2009 taken from Table 1 of publication at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/hb_ctb/HBCTB19082009.xls

Telephone Services

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what her Department's policy is on call charges for hon. Members for use of a telephone hotline on behalf of their constituents; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: In Jobcentre Plus (part of the DWP) district managers are in regular contact with their local MPs in order to offer the personal assistance they need. Any hon. Member with a query about any benefits should contact the Jobcentre Plus district manager who has overall responsibility for the service to local residents. This service is provided through the district manager's office using geographic numbers and will give hon. Members effective support for a range of different queries. Jobcentre Plus will offer a call back service should any MP express their concerns in respect of charges.
	The Pension, Disability and Carers Service provide a dedicated telephone service for the express use of Members of Parliament who require information on pensioner or disability and carer-related matters. The helpline numbers are 0113 232 4279 (Pensions) and 01253 333233/333533 (Disability/Carers), both geographic numbers. PDCS will also offer a call back service should any MP express their concerns in respect of charges.

Unemployment Benefits

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households were in receipt of both council tax benefit and housing benefit in each year since 1997.

Helen Goodman: Information is not available for 2005-07; the available information is in the following tables.
	
		
			  Recipients of both housing benefit and council tax benefit: Great Britain May 1997 to May 2004 
			   Number 
			 1997 3,990,000 
			 1998 3,890,000 
			 1999 3,790,000 
			 2000 3,570,000 
			 2001 3,460,000 
			 2002 3,430,000 
			 2003 3,450,000 
			 2004 3,550,000 
			  Notes: 1. The figures are based on a 1 per cent sample and are therefore subject to sampling variation. 2. Caseload data are rounded to the nearest ten thousand due to the estimation procedure used to produce the figures. 3. The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple.  Source: Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System annual 1 per cent 
		
	
	
		
			  Recipients of both housing benefit and council tax benefit: Great Britain November 2008 and May 2009 
			   Number 
			 2008 3,713,010 
			 2009 3,904,620 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Figures are at November 2008 and May 2009. 3. Recipients are as at second Thursday of the month.  Source: Single Housing Benefit Extract (SHBE)

Welfare to Work: Standards

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what age-based criteria there are in contracts between her Department and private sector welfare-to-work providers.

Jim Knight: holding answer 2 November 2009
	Contracted employment provision may be targeted at specific benefit claimants and or specific customer groups. Age based criteria apply to some benefits and some provision, and this will necessarily be reflected in the contracts. Department for Work and Pensions contracts comply with all relevant legislation including that related to age.
	Additional information can be found in the Library.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much has been spent on the alternative livelihoods programme in Afghanistan in each year since 2001.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) funds a range of programmes to support the promotion of alternative livelihoods in Afghanistan. These include funding for agriculture, rural and private sector development. DFID spend on these programmes since 2001 is as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2002 354,000 
			 2003 3,000,000 
			 2004 4,500,000 
			 2005 18,300,000 
			 2006 30,500,000 
			 2007 14,100,000 
			 2008 25,700,000 
		
	
	Last year DFID helped provide alternative livelihoods to farmers in Helmand by distributing wheat seed to over 13,000 farmers in the province. In addition, the UK participated in a voucher scheme providing seed and fertiliser to a further 147,000 farmers in nine provinces in Afghanistan.
	There have been real signs of progress in farmers moving away from poppy cultivation. In September, the UN confirmed a 22 per cent. fall in opium cultivation in Afghanistan from 2008-this includes a 33 per cent. fall in Helmand, the heart of poppy cultivation.

Departmental Air Travel

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many first-class flights were taken by Ministers of his Department in 2008-09; which Minister took each such flight; what the  (a) origin and  (b) destination was of each such flight; and what the cost to the public purse was in each case.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the Cabinet Office annual list of overseas travel in excess of £500 undertaken by Ministers. The 2008-09 list was published on 16 July 2009 and can be viewed at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics/ministers/travel_gifts.aspx
	Travel by Ministers is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Departmental Air Travel

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many first-class flights  (a) he,  (b) the Minister of State and  (c) the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State took on official business between 1 January and 1 October 2009; and what the (i) destination, (ii) purpose and (iii) cost of each flight was.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the Cabinet Office annual list of overseas travel in excess of £500 undertaken by Ministers. The 2008-09 list was published on 16 July 2009 and can be viewed at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics/ministers/travel_gifts.aspx
	The 2009-10 list will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year.
	Travel by Ministers is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff in his Department were employed on the management of freedom of information requests submitted to his Department in each year since 2005; and how much his Department spent on the management of such requests in each such year.

Michael Foster: The requested information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Since 2005 a number of staff have worked on freedom of information (FOI) management; however, they were also engaged in other duties and it is not possible to disaggregate time and expenditure on each activity.

Departmental Postal Services

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of postal services provided for his Department were provided by  (a) Royal Mail and  (b) other postal service providers (i) in 2007, (ii) in 2008, (iii) between 1 January and 1 July 2009 and (iv) since 1 July 2009.

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of postal services for his Department were provided by  (a) Royal Mail and  (b) other postal service providers (i) in 2007, (ii) in 2008, (iii) between 1 January and 1 July 2009 and (iv) after 1 July 2009.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development uses the Royal Mail for the majority of its postal services, the remainder being a direct mail service between its two UK offices and a small volume of ad-hoc couriered post. The relevant proportion of post is as follows:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Royal Mail  Other 
			 2007 82 18 
			 2008 84 16 
			 January to 1 July 2009 86 14 
			 After 1 July 2009 84 16

Developing Countries: HIV Infection

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to encourage pharmaceutical companies to participate in the UNITAID patent pool to make HIV medicines more affordable.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) has taken every opportunity-in speeches, statements to the press and in private meetings with company representatives-to encourage pharmaceutical companies to engage with UNITAID while it is in the process of developing an operational plan for a patent pool for HIV medicines. The UK Government, as a member of the board, looks forward to considering UNITAID's completed proposals for a patent pool in the UNITAID board meeting in December.

Developing Countries: Zinc

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent steps he has taken to increase the supply of zinc tablets to developing countries.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development's (DFID) new evidence paper, "The neglected crisis of undernutrition: Evidence for action", acknowledges the importance and cost effectiveness of zinc supplementation for maternal and child nutrition and health. This is available on-line:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Documents/publications/nutrition-evidence-paper.pdf
	The forthcoming Nutrition strategy will also include support to scaling-up direct nutritional interventions, including zinc.
	DFID provides £21 million a year to UNICEF which leads efforts to increase zinc supply to developing countries. Although there is still a vast unmet need, the number of tablets distributed has increased from 20 million in 2006 to 91 million in 2008. At a national level, DFID has also provided support to increase supply. For example, we are currently providing £7.5 million over five years to the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research in Bangladesh, which has carried out extensive trials on 'baby zinc'-a medicine for young children.

Overseas Aid

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department takes to engage with civil society in developing countries when distributing aid.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) is a signatory to the Cabinet Office managed Compact. The Compact is an agreement between Government and the voluntary and community sector which recognises shared values, principles and commitments and sets out guidelines for how both parties should work together.
	The Compact includes guidelines on consultation which DFID strongly supports. For any new centrally managed DFID funding scheme, which potentially impacts on civil society, we ensure that we hold a full and open consultation process which specifically seeks the views of the sector.
	Our direct spend through our country offices is governed by Country Plans. These plans set medium-term strategic priorities for our work at country level and determine key programming choices that will make best use of DFID resources in a particular country to meet identified development needs.
	All DFID country offices producing a Country Plan must follow the 'Best Practice Guide'. This guide states that DFID country offices must include a 12 week consultation via the DFID website and that the target audience must include civil society and the voluntary sector.

Overseas Aid: Education

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent steps his Department has taken towards achieving universal  (a) basic education and  (b) literacy in the developing world.

Michael Foster: The information is as follows:
	 (a) The Department for International Development (DFID) supports partner governments by providing long-term predictable funding to enable them to develop and implement their education sector plans. The UK is actively engaged in galvanising action through international bodies such as the G8. Recent successes include last September's Education Partnership meeting in New York where UK Government activity helped the delivery of international pledges and commitments to education totalling over $4.5 billion. This year DFID is supporting, in part by providing up to £1 million, the Global Campaign for Education's "1 GOAL" campaign, which aims to use the power of the 2010 football World Cup to raise the profile of education.
	 (b) DFID is committed in partnership with other donors, to the realisation of all six goals of the Education for All (EFA) agenda. Through our long-term commitment to provide £8.5 billion in support of education overseas to 2015, we are supporting poor countries to invest in quality basic education, including lower secondary, to ensure that children attain the fundamental skills they need to participate in social and economic life. In addition to mainstream school education, DFID has recently supported adult literacy programmes in Uganda, Kenya, India and Yemen, as well as through humanitarian aid programmes.

Peru: Dams

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what financial contribution the UK has made to hydroelectric dam projects in Peru via the  (a) World Bank Group,  (b) European Bank for Reconstruction and Development,  (c) European Investment Bank and  (d) other financial institutions funded from the public purse; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The UK has made no recent bilateral financial contribution to hydroelectric dam projects in Peru via  (a) World Bank Group,  (b) European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD),  (c) European Investment Bank (EIB) or  (d) other financial institutions.
	The UK holds shares or capital in the World Bank Group, EBRD, EIB and Inter-American Development Bank. It is not possible to allocate these pooled contributions to specific projects. Information on financial contributions made to hydroelectric dam projects in Peru via these or other financial institutions using UK funding is not held centrally.
	The EBRD is not active in Latin America, so has made no financial contribution to any projects in Peru.

Peru: EC External Trade

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with  (a) the European Commission and  (b) his European counterparts on the environmental and social effects of the EU free trade agreement with Peru; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The Secretary of State for International Development has not personally had discussions with European colleagues regarding the European Union (EU)-Andean Nations multiparty trade agreement.
	The UK Government regard the environmental and social impacts of all free trade agreements as important considerations. Officials in the joint Department for International Development/Business, Innovation and Skills (DFID/BIS) Trade Policy Unit have worked with the EU to ensure a strong chapter on sustainable development, and are working with other member states to improve the Sustainability Impact Assessment process. Officials are also working to ensure that any trade agreement with the Andean nations will contain a human rights clause as an essential element. The UK Government regard agreements of this nature as important for economic growth in developing countries, which by helping to reduce poverty will improve social welfare in these countries.

Peru: EC External Trade

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his policy is on the suspension of EU free trade agreement negotiations with Peru; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The negotiations on the EU-Andean Nations (comprising Peru and Colombia) multi-party trade agreement have not been suspended. We support the negotiations and believe that the agreement will be important for further economic, and hence social, development in the region.
	The UK Government regard the environmental and social impacts of all free trade agreements as important considerations. Officials in the joint Department for International Development/Business, Innovation and Skills (DFID/BIS) Trade Policy Unit have worked with the EU to ensure any agreement with the Andean nations includes a strong chapter on sustainable development, and are working with other member states to improve the Sustainability Impact Assessment process. Officials are also working to ensure that a human rights clause will be included as an essential element.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Academies

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of  (a) the number of and  (b) the cost to his Department of unfilled places for 16 to 19 year-olds in academies;
	(2)  what mechanism exists for the return to his Department of funding allocated to academies for 16 to 19 year-olds that remains unused at the end of financial year 2008-09.

Vernon Coaker: The Department identifies unfilled places in local authority maintained schools and academies through an annual surplus places survey. In 2008 the survey established that there were 2,673 or 8 per cent. of unfilled 16 to 19-year-old places in academies with all year groups present. However, each year academy 16 to 19-year-old funding is normally allocated on the basis of estimates by the academy of the number of pupils aged over 16 that are on roll for the next September (except for that small minority of academies where these are based on actual census numbers). Each academy's estimate is considered in the light of its actual recruitment against funded numbers, with a view to ensuring that unfilled funded places for 16 to 19-year-olds are kept to an absolute minimum. This process takes account of local Learning and Skills Council information on provision in the relevant area.
	For those academies where funded places are based on estimates, a clause in their funding agreement stipulates that an adjustment will be made to the following year's formulaic grant allocation if the actual numbers recruited across all year groups are more than either 10 per cent. or 2.5 per cent. (depending on the funding agreement) below the total estimated numbers on roll, 16 to 19-year-old pupils are included in this calculation.

Academies: Sponsorship

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the monetary value is of sponsorship funds provided by his Department for united learning trusts, broken down by  (a) year of funding and  (b) academy school in receipt of the funds in the last three years.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 29 October 2009
	The Department does not provide funding for sponsors. Sponsors establish not-for-profit charitable companies to set up and run the academies; and these companies receive funding from the Department and sponsors.
	There are two models for sponsors' payments: traditional procurement and the endowment model. On the first of these, the sponsorship payment is a contribution to the construction cost of academy buildings, normally of £2 million, but in the case of sponsors with their fourth or more academy, £1.5 million. The timing of this payment is usually phased and varies from academy to academy and is agreed between the Department and the Academy Trust. ULT sponsors 13 traditional procurement academies:
	Manchester;
	Lambeth;
	Northampton;
	Salford;
	Barnsley;
	Paddington;
	Sheffield Park;
	Sheffield Springs;
	Walthamstow;
	North Oxfordshire;
	Swindon;
	William Hulme; and
	Stockport
	The traditional procurement model was changed to the endowment model when responsibility for the provision of academy buildings was transferred to Partnerships for Schools (PfS).
	With the endowment model, sponsors establish an endowment fund which generates revenue for the Academy Company to use to counteract the impact of deprivation on the communities they serve. This revenue is not used for either capital costs or to meet the academy's running costs, which are funded by the Department.
	With the endowment model, payments by sponsors begin only after the academy has opened, and are usually phased over a period of five years. ULT currently sponsor four endowment model academies:
	Accrington;
	Midhurst Rother;
	Kettering Buccleuch; and
	Shoreham.
	In some traditional procurement model academies (including some ULT academies), particularly where a sponsor has several academy projects and needs time to raise sponsorship contributions, the Department has agreed to pay an additional grant to the Academy Trust to cover part of a sponsor's agreed sponsorship payment. This is then recovered by the Department through deductions from the academy's "General Annual Grant (GAG)", which academies receive to meet their running costs. Academy sponsors then make contributions to the academies to make good these deductions.
	For some multiple academy sponsors, such as ULT, who have already committed £2 million to a number of academy projects, we have agreed that the sponsor can use "reasonable endeavours" to raise funds. To date, payments made by sponsors to academy companies in relation to the traditional procurement model amount to almost £100 million, of which ULT have paid almost £11 million.
	A table setting out the Department's funding for each ULT academy from 2001/02 to 2009/10 has been placed in the Libraries.

CAFCASS: Finance

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the training budget for Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service practitioners has been  (a) in total and  (b) per head in each of the last two years.

Dawn Primarolo: CAFCASS' total spend on training was £1.119 million in 2008/09 and £1.171 million in 2007/08.
	CAFCASS does not hold information on the split of these amounts between practitioners and other staff groups so cannot give an accurate per head figure.

Children: Communication Skills

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will take steps to assist more local authorities to implement the recommendations of the Bercow review of services for children and young people with speech, language and communications needs; and if he will make a statement.

Diana Johnson: Following the Bercow review of services for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), the Government published "Better Communication: An action plan to improve services for children and young people with SLCN", backed by £12 million investment.
	As part of the action plan, the Department and the Department of Health have chosen 16 local areas to become SLCN commissioning pathfinders. The 16 pilot areas have been chosen to identify good practice in providing support for children with SLCN through the joint working of organisations such as primary care trusts and local authorities. This will be used to develop a national framework to improve the way services are delivered for children across the country.
	Jean Gross was announced as the communication champion on 15 October 2009, and we have established the Communication Council, which met for the first time on 21 September 2009, to support initiatives to improve services for children with SLCN. As communication champion, Jean Gross will raise awareness of the importance of communication, share good practice and lead delivery of a national year of speech, language and communication.
	In addition, the University of Warwick has been selected to lead a consortium delivering a three-year, £1.5 million research programme on the cost-effectiveness of interventions and to guide the development of future policy and practice in providing services for children and young people with SLCN.
	12 organisations working to support children with alternative and augmentative communication needs have been chosen to share grants totalling £500,000 this year as part of BECTA's commitment to provide £1.5 million of funding over the next three years. These grants aim to support delivery and provision of services.

Children: Day Care

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the annual cost of providing 10 hours of free childcare to 250,000 two year olds; and in which year he expects such provision to commence.

Dawn Primarolo: The extension of the free early education entitlement to 250,000 two-year-olds will be in place by 2015. This extension is being fully funded through savings from phasing out tax relief on child care vouchers. More details will be set out in the pre-Budget report.

Children: Protection

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many people previously convicted of crimes have successfully appealed against a decision to bar them from working with children, broken down by type of offence committed.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 19 October 2009
	Information on appeals can be found on the First Tier Tribunal's website at:
	www.carestandardstribunal.gov.uk
	This contains information on the decisions made by the Tribunal on all appeal cases which have received a hearing since 2001. There are 94 cases where people have appealed against decisions to bar them from working with children. Of these, 34 appeals were upheld by the Tribunal. Locating and retrieving the information requested on whether the individuals had been convicted of offences, and the type of offence would require detailed checks to be made of individual case records and this would incur disproportionate cost.

European Schools

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teachers working in the European Schools obtained the threshold as a result of the Employment Appeals Tribunal's ruling in favour of John Mason.

Vernon Coaker: One teacher received threshold pay as a result of the Employment Appeal Tribunal's ruling in favour of John Mason.

European Schools

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many applicants applied for each UK post in the European Schools in each of the last 10 years.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of posts advertised  Number of applications received( 1) 
			 2000 11 265 
			 2001 14 165 
			 2002 28 345 
			 2003 24 240 
			 2004 28 480 
			 2005 20 270 
			 2006 19 475 
			 2007 22 160 
			 2008 27 240 
			 2009 32 400 
			 Total (2000-09) 225 3,040 
			 (1) Figures are based on the number of applicants recorded on tables who applied for posts in any given year. The Department only keeps applications for one year after each annual recruitment exercise so figures should therefore be regarded as approximate.

European Schools

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teachers employed in the European Schools are paid the threshold.

Vernon Coaker: 50 teachers employed in the European Schools system receive threshold pay.

European Union: Primary Education

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 30 June 2009,  Official Report, column 232W, on the European Union: primary education, what information on the European Union his Department permits EU institutions to distribute to primary schools.

Vernon Coaker: The Department does not endorse any specific teaching resources and it is for teachers to use their professional judgment in determining which materials to use in the classroom.
	In addition, European Union institutions have a policy of distributing publications only on demand. They do not send out unsolicited information.

Families: Prison

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what programmes his Department has to support the families of those who are in prison;
	(2)  how many Sure Start children's centres have programmes in place to provide appropriate support for the families of those who are in prison.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department recognises that many children of offenders are vulnerable and is working closely with the Ministry of Justice and National Offender Management Service to meet their needs.
	The Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Ministry of Justice have just published (on 3 November 2009) a cross-government framework setting out recommended practice by local agencies and offender management services in identifying and supporting these families.
	We have significantly expanded funding for parenting and family support and have just announced indicative local authority allocations for 2010-11 totalling £89 million. Many of the projects delivered with this funding, such as family intervention projects, work with prisons and the probation service to support this group of families. The Department also directly funds a range of organisations such as Action For Prisoners' Families to deliver projects to support the families of offenders through the our third sector grant programmes.
	The Sure Start children's centres practice guidance highlights families with a parent in prison or known to be engaged in criminal activity among those vulnerable families for whom additional support should be available. It includes a separate section with good practice examples on how services can be tailored to meet the needs of partners and families of prisoners. Together for Children, the Department's delivery partner, have also produced a support product "Working Effectively with Families in Sure Start Children's Centres" which includes a checklist and links to resources to help centres working with families of prisoners and is available online at:
	http://www.childrens-centres.org/Topics/AllTfCSupportProducts.aspx#WorkingwithFamilies
	Information on how many Sure Start children's centres have programmes in place to provide appropriate support for families of those who are in prison is not collected centrally. Local authorities, working with their partners in children's trusts, are responsible for decisions on services to be delivered in children's centres in response to local needs and demands.

GCSE

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many pupils obtaining five GCSEs at grades A* to C including English and mathematics also received an equivalent qualification worth four GCSEs in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many pupils obtaining five GCSEs at grades A* to C including English and mathematics also obtained an equivalent qualification worth two or more GCSEs in the latest period for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: Provisional figures for 2009 show that of the 314,158 pupils who achieved five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C including English and mathematics (including equivalents), 33,867 of these pupils achieved at least one individual equivalent qualification worth four GCSEs at grades A* to C. Of these, 5,351 would not have met the threshold without the equivalent qualification.
	98,437 pupils who achieved five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C including English and mathematics (including equivalents) obtained at least one individual equivalent qualification worth two or more GCSEs at grades A* to C. Of these, 9,889 would not have met the threshold without these equivalent qualifications.
	 Notes:
	1. Figures cover pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 in all schools.
	2. Qualifications counted as GCSEs for this answer include full GCSEs, short course GCSEs, GCSE double awards, GCSEs in applied subjects and GCE AS levels that have been taken early. All other accredited qualifications that are approved for pre-16 use are counted as GCSE equivalent qualifications.

GCSE: Birmingham

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many school pupils in Birmingham achieved  (a) five A* to C grades at GCSE or equivalent and  (b) five A* to C grades at GCSE or equivalent including English and mathematics in each year since 1998.

Vernon Coaker: The figures requested are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of pupils in Birmingham who achieved selected grades at GCSE or equivalent in each year since 1998 
			   5 A*-C  5 A*-C including English and mathematics 
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 1998 4,137 35.9 2,982 25.9 
			 1999 4,435 38.1 3,335 28.6 
			 2000 4,672 40.8 3,584 31.3 
			 2001 4,879 41.2 3,683 31.1 
			 2002 5,359 45.3 4,036 34.1 
			 2003 5,963 49.4 4,217 35.0 
			 2004 6,218 51.2 4,448 36.6 
			 2005 6,797 56.6 4,678 39.0 
			 2006 7,336 58.8 5,090 40.8 
			 2007 7,813 61.8 5,266 41.6 
			 2008 8,429 66.6 5,762 45.5 
			 2009 8,885 72.0 5,829 47.2 
			  Notes: 1. 1998 to 2004 data relate to 15-year-olds at the start of the school year. 2. 2005 to 2009 data relate to pupils at the end of key stage 4. 3. 2009 figures are provisional.  Source Achievement and Attainment Tables' database.

Learning and Skills Improvement Service: Finance

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding his Department is providing to the Learning and Skills Improvement Service in 2009-10; and what proportion this constitutes of the total budget of the Learning and Skills Improvement Service.

Vernon Coaker: In 2009-10 the Department for Business Innovation and Skills will receive funding from DCSF in respect of the Learning and Skills Improvement Service of £36.634 million, which represents 25 per cent. of the total LSIS income for that financial year.

Primary Education: Pupils

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many primary schools in each region had more than  (a) 400,  (b) 500,  (c) 600 and  (d) 700 pupils in the latest period for which figures are available.

Diana Johnson: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Maintained primary schools: Number of schools  By  size( 1, 2, 3) , January 2009, England 
			Of which: Number of schools with more than: 
			   Total number of maintained primary schools  400 pupils  500 pupils  600 pupils  700 pupils 
			 North East 896 90 19 4 0 
			 North West 2,498 228 45 16 4 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 1,843 218 49 17 4 
			 East Midlands 1,660 141 25 10 1 
			 West Midlands 1,805 281 80 44 14 
			 East of England 2,022 178 41 16 1 
			 Inner London 691 209 44 22 11 
			 Outer London 1,113 462 113 84 29 
			 South East 2,631 333 68 28 5 
			 South West 1,905 140 19 9 1 
			 England 17,064 2,280 503 250 70 
			 (1) Based on headcount of pupils, excludes dual registrations. (2) Includes middle schools as deemed. (3) Schools are counted against each relevant column e.g. those in 'more than 500' are also in 'more than 400'.  Source: School Census.

Pupil Exclusions

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of pupils have been given  (a) fixed period and  (b) permanent exclusions from schools in each decile of deprivation in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 16 October 2009,  Official Report, columns 1104-05W, on pupil exclusions: disadvantaged, what the rate of permanent exclusion from  (a) primary,  (b) secondary and  (c) special schools was in each income deprivation affecting children index decile of deprivation in the latest year for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: The available information is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Primary, secondary and special schools( 1, 2, 3) ,  number and proportion of pupil enrolments with fixed period or permanent exclusions by level of deprivation of school( 4, 5) , England, 2007/08 (estimates)( 6) 
			   One or more fixed period exclusions  Permanent exclusions( 6)  Rate of permanent exclusion( 6, 8) 
			  Level of deprivation of school based on IDACI( 5)  Number of pupil enrolments( 4)  Percentage of the school population( 7)  Number of pupil enrolments( 4)  Percentage of the school population( 8)  Primary schools( 1)  Secondary schools( 1, 2)  Special schools( 3) 
			 0-10% most deprived 21,070 2.90 900 0.12 0.04 0.29 0.23 
			 10-20% 21,070 3.08 870 0.13 0.04 0.28 0.08 
			 20-30% 24,980 3.24 1,110 0.14 0.03 0.28 0.16 
			 30-40% 21,410 2.88 830 0.11 0.03 0.22 0.16 
			 40-50% 24,760 3.06 970 0.12 0.02 0.23 0.15 
			 50-60% 18,690 2.57 750 0.10 0.02 0.21 0.14 
			 60-70% 21,100 2.70 700 0.09 0.02 0.16 0.22 
			 70-80% 19,090 2.52 700 0.09 0.01 0.18 0.33 
			 80-90% 17,080 2.28 630 0.08 0.01 0.16 0.23 
			 90-100% least deprived 15,640 2.17 670 0.09 0.01 0.17 0.19 
			 Total for all schools 204,890 2.74 8,130 0.11 0.02 0.21 0.19 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes city technology colleges and academies (including all-through academies). (3) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools. Excludes general hospital schools. (4) Pupils may be counted more than once if they were registered at more than one school or moved schools during the year. (5) 2007 Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index at Super Output Area level based on the location of the school. (6) Figures relating to permanent exclusions are estimates based on incomplete pupil-level data. (7) The number of pupil enrolments with one or more fixed period exclusions as a percentage of the number (headcount) of pupils (excluding dually registered pupils), in each IDACI band, in January 2008. (8) The number of pupil enrolments with a permanent exclusion as a percentage of the number (headcount) of pupils (excluding dually registered pupils), in each IDACI band, by school type, in January 2008.  Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: School Census.

Pupils: Bullying

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to prevent bullying and intimidation of Jewish children in schools; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The DCSF has made it clear to schools that all forms of bullying, including those motivated by prejudice, should not be tolerated. Schools have the legal duty to put measures in place to promote good behaviour, respect for others and to prevent all forms of bullying among pupils. Schools' legal duties also include promoting community cohesion which is about building an appreciation of diversity, developing shared values and fostering good relations between different groups of pupils. Ofsted has inspected schools against this duty since September 2008.
	In March 2006 we published specialist guidance on bullying around race, religion and culture which focused on preventing and tackling racist and religious bullying in schools and included specific material on bullying related to anti-Semitism. We are funding the Anti-Bullying Alliance and the National Strategies to ensure the guidance is effectively embedded in local authorities and schools.

Pupils: Special Educational Needs

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many pupils with special educational needs have been given  (a) fixed-period and  (b) permanent exclusions in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of pupils  (a) eligible for free school meals,  (b) who speak English as an additional language and  (c) who have special educational needs were given (i) fixed-period and (ii) permanent exclusions from schools in the latest period for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: Data on the special educational needs status of excluded pupils is collected at the time of exclusion. Information relating to the number of permanent exclusions by SEN status since 1997 is published in table 7 of the Statistical First Release published at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000860/index.shtml
	Data on fixed period exclusions was collected for the first time in 2003/04; in 2005/06 it was collected for secondary schools only.
	The available information relating to the number of fixed period exclusions (not the number of pupils) by SEN status between 2003/04 and 2006/07 is published in table 8 of the Statistical First Release published at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000793/index.shtml
	The number of fixed period exclusions by SEN status for 2007/08 is available in table 8a of the Statistical First Release published at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000860/index.shtml
	A pupil's SEN status can change between periods of exclusion; data relating to the SEN status of excluded pupil enrolments, based on their SEN status at the time of their most recent fixed period or permanent exclusion, has been determined for the first time for 2007/08. The available information on pupil enrolments is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Primary, secondary and special schools( 1,2,3)  number and percentage of pupil enrolments receiving one or more fixed period exclusions or a permanent exclusion by pupil characteristics( 4) 
			  England, 2007/08 (estimates)( 5) 
			   One or more fixed period exclusions  Permanent exclusion( 5) 
			   Number of pupil enrolments( 4)  Percentage of applicable school population( 6)  Number of pupil enrolments( 4)  Percentage of applicable school population( 6) 
			 Eligible for free school meals(7) 62,090 5.66 3,050 0.28 
			 Speak English as an additional language(8) 18,570 2.25 640 0.08 
			 Have special educational needs(9) 114,260 7.42 5,780 0.38 
			 All pupils 204,890 2.74 8,130 0.11 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes city technology colleges and academies (including all-through academies). (3) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools. Excludes general hospital schools. (4) Pupils may be counted more than once if they were registered at more than one school or changed schools during the year. (5) Figures relating to permanent exclusions are estimates based on incomplete pupil-level data. (6) The number of pupil enrolments who received exclusions expressed as a percentage of the number (headcount) of all pupils (excluding dually registered pupils) by pupil characteristic, in January 2008. (7) Free school meal eligibility as at the time of the January 2008 School Census. (8) Includes only pupils of compulsory school age and above. (9) Pupils' SEN status at the time of their most recent fixed period or permanent exclusion. Includes pupils whose status is School Action, School Action Plus and those who have statements of special educational needs.  Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: School Census

Schools

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average time taken for a school to receive an official registration number from his Department was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Diana Johnson: A new maintained school's registration number is normally issued from the Department within five working days of it being notified by the Decision Maker, either the local authority or the schools adjudicator, that the required statutory process has been followed and a decision has been made to approve the statutory proposals for the establishment of the new school.
	Once notified of its registration number, it is for the Decision Maker to make sure these details are passed on to the relevant person at the new school.
	The decision-making process for independent schools is dealt with by the Department. The whole registration process will take a minimum of three months, but can take longer, depending on the applicant's readiness to meet the regulatory standards.
	Once the Department is satisfied the standards are met an application for an official registration number may take up to 10 working days which is then notified directly to the proprietor.

Schools: Astrophysics

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much of the Government's expenditure from its budgets allocated to space has been spent on space education in  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools in each of the last 10 years.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 2 November 2009
	The Department does not hold the information requested.

Schools: Standards

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of  (a) schools and  (b) Catholic schools had (i) value-added scores and (ii) points scores above the national average at each level of assessment in the latest period for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: The performance of all schools is published annually in the Achievement and Attainment Tables. This is available at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/performancetables/
	This publication includes the contextual value added (CVA) score for every school, together with a confidence interval around that score.
	At Key Stage 2 (KS2) the expected CVA score is 100, therefore any school with a lower confidence bound greater than 100 could be described as having a high value added score. There were 3,966 such schools(1) in 2008, the latest period for which figures are available (representing 27 per cent. of all primary schools). 498 of these schools were Catholic schools which represents 31 per cent. of all Catholic primary schools.
	The average KS2 point score is also published for every school. In 2008 the national average point score was 27.9.
	There were 8,357 schools (57 per cent. of all primary schools) with average point scores above this figure. 1,115 of these schools were Catholic schools which represents 69 per cent. of all Catholic primary schools.
	At Key Stage 4 (KS4) the expected CVA score is 1,000, therefore any school with a lower confidence bound greater than 1,000 could be described as having a high value added score. There were 912 such schools(2) in 2008, the latest period for which figures are available (representing 29 per cent. of all secondary schools). 129 of these schools were Catholic schools which represents 34 per cent. of all Catholic secondary schools.
	The average KS4 point score is also published for every school. In 2008 the national average point score was 390.2. There were 1,603 schools (51 per cent. of all secondary schools) with average point scores above this figure. 234 of these schools were Catholic schools which represents 62 per cent. of all Catholic secondary schools.
	(1)( )All KS2 figures are based on 14,768 maintained mainstream primary schools of which 1,616 are Catholic schools.
	(2)( )All KS4 figures are based on 3,159 maintained mainstream secondary schools of which 378 are Catholic schools.

Secondary Education: Pupils

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many secondary schools in each region had more than  (a) 1,000 and  (b) 2,000 pupils in the latest period for which figures are available.

Diana Johnson: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		
			  State funded secondary schools: Number of schools by Size( 1, 2, 3, 4) , January 2009, England 
			Of which: 
			   Total number of state funded secondary schools  Number of schools with more than 1,000 pupils  Number of schools with more than 2,000 pupils 
			 North East 203 65 2 
			 North West 464 179 0 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 319 155 4 
			 East Midlands 303 142 4 
			 West Midlands 401 146 1 
			 East of England 421 180 1 
			 Inner London 148 58 0 
			 Outer London 278 169 4 
			 South East 498 243 7 
			 South West 326 157 3 
			 England 3,361 1,494 26 
			 (1) Based on headcount of pupils, excludes dual registrations. (2) Includes middle schools as deemed. (3) Includes CTCs and academies (including all through academies). (4) Schools are counted against each relevant column e.g. those in 'more than 2,000' are also in 'more than 1,000'.

Teachers: Derbyshire

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department has spent on additional teachers in  (a) Derbyshire and  (b) North East Derbyshire constituency since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: The Department does not hold the information requested. It is a matter for each local authority and its schools to determine locally.

Trust Schools

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many Trust schools have been created since the entry into force of the Education and Inspections Act 2006; and how many such schools have  (a) more than one elected parent governor and  (b) a Parents' Council.

Vernon Coaker: To date 243 Trust schools (foundation schools with a foundation) that the Department has been advised of, have been established or acquired their trust under the Education and Inspections Act 2006.
	The Department does not hold records of the number of parent governors. Any Trust school with a foundation majority-where the Trust appoints the majority of governors to the Governing Body-must set up a Parent Council. Our records show that 15 schools have acquired this model so far.

United Learning Trust

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will place in the Library copies of each contract or agreement made between his Department and united learning trusts.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 29 October 2009
	Copies of all contracts and agreements with the United Learning Trust are on the Department's website at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/foischeme/

HEALTH

Cancer: Drugs

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions his Department has had with Birmingham East and North Primary Care Trust since 1 January 2009 on the availability of cancer medicines from the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: None.
	National health service organisations are statutorily required to make funding available for treatments recommended by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence's (NICE) technology appraisal guidance within three months of final guidance unless the funding direction has not been amended or waived. Where NICE guidance does not exist for a treatment, NHS patients have a right to expect local funding decisions to be made rationally on the basis of the available evidence.

Coeliac Disease

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people diagnosed with coeliac disease; what screening takes place to identify those with the disease; how much the NHS spent on  (a) identifying and  (b) treating those with coeliac disease in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: We have made no estimate of the number of people diagnosed with coeliac disease.
	The United Kingdom National Screening Committee, which advises Ministers and the national health service on screening policy and its implementation, has recommended that whole-population screening for coeliac disease should not be offered. Guidelines published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recommend that serological testing is offered, or that clinicians consider offering serological testing, to children and adults presenting with specific signs, symptoms or existing conditions as defined in the guidance.
	National health service expenditure on identifying and treating those with coeliac disease is not collected centrally.

Dental Services

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assistance and advice his Department provides to NHS dentistry practices which have difficulty meeting demand for their services;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to ensure that there is sufficient provision of NHS dentistry in rural areas.

Ann Keen: Dental practices contract with their local primary care trusts (PCTs) to deliver an agreed level of annual dental service. It is for each PCT to ensure that it contracts with sufficient practices at sufficient levels of service to meet local need for national health service dental care. Dentists who are able and willing to do more NHS work can approach their local PCT, or bid for extra work where local PCTs are inviting tenders.
	Access to NHS dental care is growing steadily, with 721,000 more patients seen in the 24 months ending June 2009 than in the 24 months ending June 2008. But we recognise there is further to go. The NHS has committed itself to ensuring that, by March 2011, all those who actively seek NHS dental care can access it. We have put in place the Dental Access Programme to support the NHS in achieving this commitment.

Departmental Rail Travel

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on first class rail travel for officials in  (a) 2004-05 and  (b) 2005-06.

Phil Hope: The Department has spent the following on first-class rail travel.
	
		
			   £ 
			 2004-05 5,377,271.00 
			 2005-06 4,101,667.18 
		
	
	It should be noted that the above figures represent travel booked through the central booking system which constitutes the vast majority of how travel is booked and paid for.

Departmental Telephone Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health  (a) how many and  (b) what proportion of telephone calls made to lines operated by (i) his Department and (ii) the NHS were classified as prank calls in the latest period for which figures are available.

Phil Hope: The Department does not collect information on the number of prank calls to Department of Health operated phone lines in the requested format.
	Records on such calls to the Department's communications directorate phone lines are maintained but those figures also include wrong numbers, people who put the phone down before speaking to an operator and people who have misjudged the services offered by the line they called.
	The Department's communications directorate phone lines overall are within the industry average of around 10 per cent. calls of this type.
	Information on national health service or any other telephone services that may be run on behalf of the Department are not held centrally and cannot be provided except at disproportionate cost.

Direct Payments

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people received payments under the direct payment scheme in each year since 2000; and how much was paid out in each such year;
	(2)  how much his Department spent on the direct payments scheme in each year since 2000.

Phil Hope: Financial data on the total running cost of the direct payments scheme is not collected centrally by the Department.
	However, the NHS Information Centre for health and social care collects and publishes information on the number of adults receiving direct payments provided by Councils with Adult Social Services Responsibilities (CASSRs) and the gross current expenditure on these direct payments.
	The following table shows the number of adults (aged 18 and over) in receipt of direct payments and the total gross current expenditure by CASSRs in England on direct payments during the year from 2000-01 to 2008-09.
	
		
			  N umber of adults (aged 18 and over) in receipt of direct payments and the total gross current expenditure in England on direct payments during the year from 2000-01 to 2008-09 
			  Rounded numbers 
			  1  April to  31 March :  Clients in receipt of direct payments  Gross expenditure on direct payments (£000) 
			 2000-01 5,000 49,800 
			 2001-02 6,300 57,700 
			 2002-03 9,600 84,500 
			 2003-04 17,300 126,300 
			 2004-05(1) 24,500 192,300 
			 2005-06 37,400 274,200 
			 2006-07 48,500 356,700 
			 2007-08 66,800 452,500 
			 2008-09(2) 86,100 605,100 
			 (1) Data on the number of people receiving community based services from 2004-05 is not comparable to previous years. In 2004-05 restated guidance was issued to exclude people receiving services from grant funded organisations who had not had a community care assessment. (2) Data for 2008-09 is provisional.  Source: RAP P2f and PSS Ex1

Disability: Social Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the proposals in the Social Care Green Paper on disability benefits, whether the removal of attendance allowance is to operate beyond the top three wealth quintiles after 2014; whether payment to those in the lower two wealth quintiles is to be based on a means test  (a) equivalent to the means test for pension credit and  (b) with no upper capital limit; and whether any payment is to be made to an individual in the lower two quintiles who is in receipt of care and support.

Phil Hope: The Government are currently consulting on proposals to reform the care and support system for adults in England. As part of that consultation, we are considering the case for bringing together elements of some disability benefits, such as attendance allowance, with social care funding, to create a new care and support system to provide for the needs of older and disabled people. The assumptions used in the economic modelling were published by the Personal Social Services Research Unit in July 2009 at
	www.pssru.ac.uk/pdf/dp2644.pdf
	No decisions have yet been made around how this should be achieved in practice.

Drugs: Prisons

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made of the merits of quality assurance for drug treatment services in prisons provided through the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse.

Phil Hope: In April 2008, the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA) was given responsibility for the implementation of the Integrated Drug Treatment System (IDTS) in prisons. The NTA put in place a range of performance and quality assurance arrangements to support the delivery of the programme.
	At a local level, all prison partnerships implementing IDTS in prisons are required to submit Annual Treatment Plans to their regional NTA team setting out key priorities, objectives, actions and milestones for the delivery of effective treatment, including a financial budget for the year. Progress against these plans is reviewed quarterly.
	NTA are responsible for the IDTS prison treatment data, which is reported through the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) and includes data from the Drug Interventions Record. The collection of IDTS prison treatment data began in April 2009 and from April 2010 will be part of PSA 25 activity data, whereby all primary care trusts have to ensure the provision of effective treatment as one of the Tier 2 Vital Signs indicators within the 2009-10 NHS Operating Framework.
	New Government guidance, covering issues around quality assurance for prisons commissioners, service providers and practitioners on continuity of care for people on release from prison ("Drug Misusing Offenders: Ensuring the continuity-of-care between prisons and community (June 09)") and on the management of dual diagnosis in prisons ("A Guide for the Management of Dual Diagnosis for Prisons (March 2009)") have also recently been published. The implementation of these guidance documents, and assuring quality, will also be led by the NTA at a local level.

Elderly People: Ethnic Minorities

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer to Question 290279, which councils  (a) have and  (b) have not made use of the audit tool for developing services for minority ethnic older people in each year.

Phil Hope: The Audit Tool was produced as practice guidance for all councils with social services responsibilities. It was intended for use as a local resource and there has been no central monitoring as to which councils have or have not made use of it.

Health Education

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department will publish the evaluation it made of the effectiveness of each health promotion campaign that it  (a) ran itself and  (b) it commissioned from other organisations in (i) 2005-06, (ii) 2006-07, (iii) 2007-08 and (iv) 2008-09.

Phil Hope: The Department publishes summaries of research relating to health promotion campaigns it runs or commissions. These can be found on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/FreedomOfInformation/Freedomofinformationpublicationschemefeedback/Classesofinformation/Campaignresearch/index.htm
	categorised by issue. The summaries are currently published on an annual basis. Summaries for July 2007-July 2008 will be published by the end of 2009. Thereafter the summaries will be published on a six monthly basis.

Health Services: Social Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what dates the Ministerial Group on Integration of Health and Social Care Services has met since its creation.

Phil Hope: The ministerial group on integration of Health and Social Care Services has met three times since its creation on 10 March 2009, 15 June 2009 and 20 October 2009.

Health: Screening

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 21 July 2009,  Official Report, column 334W, on cardiovascular system: screening, when his Department intends to begin collecting information through the national minimum data set on NHS health checks; what information will be included for collection in the national minimum data set; which organisation will be responsible for administering it; whether he intends the information to be published; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Primary care trusts are beginning phased implementation of their NHS Health Check programme and there is strong support for the development of a national data set. We are currently working with the Information Standards Board for Health and Social Care to develop a National Data Set for the NHS Health Check programme. It is too early to give details about exactly what information will be collected, who will be responsible for administering it or if the information will be published.

Herbal Medicine

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what timetable he has set for statutory registration of professional herbalists; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The Department is currently undertaking a consultation exercise on whether acupuncture, herbal medicine and traditional Chinese medicine practitioners should be regulated and if so how. Once the consultation period has ended, and the responses have been analysed, a decision on the way forward will then be made.

Home Care Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people received home help funded from the public purse during the sample week used for his Department's survey on home care services in September 2009.

Phil Hope: We are informed by the NHS Information Centre for health and social care that it no longer collects data on the number of people receiving home help funded by councils with adult social services responsibilities (CASSRs) during a sample week in September. The result of a new data collection on the home care services is expected to be published by the Information Centre in early 2010.
	The most recent data available shows that, during the survey week in September 2008, 340,600 service users received home care funded by CASSRs in England.

Hospitals: Ashford Kent

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his plans are for the future of the King's Avenue, Ashford site as an NHS facility.

Mike O'Brien: The provision and development of local health services and facilities are the responsibility of the local national health service. The future of the King's Avenue, Ashford site is therefore a matter for Eastern and Coastal Kent Primary Care Trust.

Hospitals: Parking

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the likely effect on  (a) Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust and  (b) the Royal Free Hospital of the proposed abolition of car parking charges; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: National health service organisations provide car parking to patients and visitors based on their local plans, needs and circumstances. The details and effects of implementing free car parking for in-patients will vary between different NHS organisations. It is therefore for each local NHS organisation to assess the effect of the abolition of car parking charges.

Influenza: Vaccination

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of people who have been inoculated against influenza and pneumococcal disease; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The H1N1 (swine flu) vaccination programme which started in October is supported by a comprehensive programme of communications to the general public and a major, leadership-driven campaign to encourage national health service and social care staff to take up the vaccine.
	This year's seasonal flu campaign is being delivered in a highly targeted way to the usual at-risk groups in order to minimise confusion, particularly where there are differences from the swine flu priority groups (for example, over-65s who are otherwise healthy). The message "Don't underestimate seasonal flu" features in leaflets, surgery posters and pharmacy bags, on the basis that people in the seasonal flu at-risk groups are often in contact with primary care.
	Pneumococcal vaccines are offered to older people and to babies and infants. The programme for older people is supported by a leaflet entitled "Age 65 or Over? Make sure you get your pneumo" that is available from surgeries.
	For children, pneumococcal vaccine is offered as part of the routine childhood immunisation programme. This is supported by a range of information resources.
	As part of the Operating Framework for the NHS in England, the Department has adopted a Vital Signs indicator to monitor and increase uptake of the pneumococcal vaccine in the childhood immunisation programme.

Influenza: Vaccination

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been inoculated against influenza in  (a) Ribble Valley constituency,  (b) Lancashire and  (c) England in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: Data on the number of people who have received seasonal influenza vaccine are available nationally and at the strategic health authority (SHA) and the primary care trust (PCT) levels. No data are available for individual parliamentary constituencies.
	Data for the years 2005-06 to 2008-09 are given in the following table for the PCTs that have included the Ribble Valley constituency, and for Lancashire and England.
	The data are presented for (i) patients over 65 years of age (table 1) and (ii) for patients under 65 years of age in clinical at risk groups (table 2), the total number of eligible people that received vaccine and the percentage uptake of vaccine by those eligible by the end of the influenza season in each year.
	
		
			  Table 1: Vaccination percentage uptake among the 65 years of age and over 
			65 years and over 
			  Survey year  PCT name  Number vaccinated  Vaccine uptake (percentage) 
			 2005-06 West Lancashire PCT 14,123 77.8 
			  Cumbria and Lancashire Strategic HA 256,393 75.5 
			  England total 6,122,744 75.3 
			 
			 2006-07 Central Lancashire PCT 54,882 74.9 
			  East Lancashire PCT 41,585 73.9 
			  North Lancashire PCT 51,695 76.4 
			  Total of above PCTs 148,162 75.1 
			  England total 5,779,145 73.9 
			 
			 2007-08 Central Lancashire PCT 53,990 75.1 
			  East Lancashire PCT 43,296 72.4 
			  North Lancashire PCT 52,028 76 
			  Total of above PCTs 149,314 74.6 
			  England total 5,934,370.0 73.5 
			 
			 2008-09 Central Lancashire PCT 55,263 75 
			  East Lancashire PCT 44,565 73.4 
			  North Lancashire PCT 52,911 76.4 
			  Total of above PCTs 152,739 75.0 
			  England total 6,130,532 74 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Vaccination percentage uptake among the under 65 years of age in clinical risk 
			Under 65 years and at risk( 1) 
			  Survey year  PCT name  Number vaccinated  Vaccine uptake (percentage) 
			 2005-06 West Lancashire PCT 6,140 66.9 
			  Cumbria and Lancashire Strategic HA 112,922 59.2 
			  England total 1,443,893 48.0 
			 
			 2006-07 Central Lancashire PCT 21,454 45.1 
			  East Lancashire PCT 16,783 45.8 
			  North Lancashire PCT 13,698 45.9 
			  Total of above PCTs 51,935 45.5 
			  England total 1,770,840 42.1 
			 
			 2007-08 Central Lancashire PCT 20,424 47.4 
			  East Lancashire PCT 17,908 51.9 
			  North Lancashire PCT 15,317 48.6 
			  Total of above PCTs 53,649 49.2 
			  England total 1,977,509 45.3 
			 
			 2008-09 Central Lancashire PCT 22,008 52.8 
			  East Lancashire PCT 19,025 52.9 
			  North Lancashire PCT 16,079 50.9 
			  Total of above PCTs 57,112 52.3 
			  England total 92,216 52.2 
			 (1 )Data for individuals aged under 65 years and in a risk group has only been collated since the 2005-06 season.  Source: Influenza Immunisation Uptake Monitoring Programme HPA/DH, ImmForm reporting website. 
		
	
	Uptake data for this year's seasonal and swine flu vaccination programmes are not yet available.

Mental Health Services

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect on  (a) patient safety and  (b) waiting times of proposals to differentiate standards of proficiency for counselling and psychotherapy; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The Government have not yet received proposals for the regulation of psychotherapists and counsellors from the Health Professions Council (HPC). The Government will give careful consideration to the HPC's recommendations, including impact assessments, once these have been presented to the Secretary of State.

Mental Health Services: Waiting Lists

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people aged  (a) under 18 years and  (b) 18 years or over are on waiting lists to receive treatment for a mental health problem in the Milton Keynes area.

Phil Hope: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Muscular Dystrophy: South East

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many care advisers are available for muscular dystrophy patients within the area covered by the South East and Coastal Regional Health Authority.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not collected centrally. However, the Department is aware of variations in service provision for those living with muscular dystrophy. We have therefore asked the National Commissioning team to work with the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign to run a workshop on best practice commissioning.

Muscular Dystrophy: South East

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision has been made for the  (a) respiratory care and  (b) cardiac screening of muscular dystrophy patients living within the area covered by the South East and Coastal Regional Health Authority; and how much funding for (i) 2009-10 and (ii) each of the previous five years was allocated to these services.

Ann Keen: It is the responsibility of health professionals to use their clinical judgment, working with patients and their families, to decide on the most appropriate health care for those living with muscular dystrophy (MD). Local health bodies have the responsibility to commission appropriate levels of health care to meet the needs of all their patients, including those with MD. Funding is not allocated specifically for MD.
	However, the Department is aware of variations in service provision for those living with muscular dystrophy. We have therefore asked the national commissioning team to work with the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign to run a workshop on best practice commissioning.

Muscular Dystrophy: South East

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with what frequency a muscular dystrophy patient living within the area covered by the South East and Coastal Regional Health Authority should receive specialist physiotherapy.

Ann Keen: There is no recommended level of physiotherapy services-patients living with muscular dystrophy will have differing needs, and services should be provided based on an individual assessment of a patient's needs.
	However, the Department is aware of variations in service provision for those living with muscular dystrophy. We have therefore asked the national commissioning team to work with the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign to run a workshop on best practice commissioning.

National Assistance Act 1948

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many adults have received support under section 21 of the National Assistance Act 1948 in each year since 1997.

Phil Hope: Section 21 of the National Assistance Act 1948 empowers local authorities to support people in residential and nursing care. Data on the number of adults-aged 18 and over-in local authority supported registered residential and nursing care is collected and published by the NHS Information Centre for health and social care via the Supported Residents (SRI) return.
	Table 1 shows the numbers of adults-aged 18 and over-in local authority funded residential and nursing care, including numbers in adult placements/Shared Lives, as at 31 March for the years 1997 to 2005 in England.
	
		
			  Table 1: Total( 1)  number of clients aged 18 and over in receipt of local authority funded residential or nursing care as at 31 March, England 
			   Rounded number 
			   Total of all supported residents, England 
			 1997 242,100 
			 1998 255,500 
			 1999 260,700 
			 2000 265,400 
			 2001 261,800 
			 2002 264,800 
			 2003(2) 284,100 
			 2004(2, 3) 278,000 
			 2005(2, 3) 266,200 
			  Notes: (1) Includes people in voluntary and private registered residential, general and mental health nursing homes, adults in un-staffed homes and adult placements/Shared Lives. (2) Includes clients formerly in receipt of preserved rights. (3) Includes Boyd loophole residents.  Source: SRI Return, table S1. 
		
	
	From 2006, the numbers in adult placements/Shared Lives were collected separately. Table 2 shows the numbers of adults-aged 18 and over-in local authority funded residential and nursing care and numbers in adult placements/Shared Lives, as at 31 March for the years 2006 to 2008 in England. Information for 2009 is expected to be published in early 2010.
	
		
			  Table 2: Total( 1)  number of clients aged 18 and over in receipt of local authority funded residential or nursing care as at 31 March, England 
			   Rounded number 
			   Total of all supported residents( 1)  Total of all supported residents in registered( 2)  accommodation  Adult Placements/Shared lives 
			 2006(3, 4) 259,200 256,900 2,200 
			 2007(3, 4) 250,200 247,300 2,900 
			 2008(3, 4) 239,100 236,100 2,900 
			  Notes: (1) Includes people in voluntary and private registered residential, general and mental health nursing homes, adults in un-staffed homes and adult placements/Shared Lives. (2) Registered accommodation excludes adult placements/Shared Lives. These data were collected separately from 2006 onwards. (3) Includes clients formerly in receipt of preserved rights. (4) Includes Boyd loophole residents.  Source: SRI Return, table S1.

Nutrition

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 27 October 2009,  Official Report, column 260W, on care homes: food, in what ways Ministers are considering the Nutrition Action Plan Delivery Board's report; whether his Department is to exercise any editorial control over the content of the report as it is to be published; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 27 October 2009,  Official Report, column 268W, on nutrition, in what ways Ministers are considering the Nutrition Action Plan Delivery Board's report; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: The Nutrition Action Plan Delivery Board's report contains 21 recommendations, covering various aspects of nutrition, some aimed at Government and some at organisations outside Government. In order to prepare a response to these recommendations, it has been necessary to consult with the relevant policy interests, within Government and outside organisations.
	The report was written by the chair of the Nutrition Action Plan Delivery Board, in collaboration with the board membership. It is an independent report and was produced on the understanding that the Government would not have any editorial control over the content.
	When a response to the report's recommendations is finalised, a copy of the report, as drafted by the chair of the board, together with the Government's response, will be placed in the Library.

Organ Donors

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of his response to the review of allocation of organs to non-UK EU residents conducted by Elizabeth Buggins.

Ann Keen: The Department issued a press release on 31 July 2009 setting out the immediate steps it would take to implement the recommendations in Elizabeth Buggins' report. A copy of the press release has been placed in the Library.

Social Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish the social care workforce action plan announced in the Social Care Green Paper.

Phil Hope: "Working to Put People First: The Adult Social Care Workforce Strategy in England", was launched in April 2009. The strategy has been jointly produced between the Department and its key sector partners through the Adult Social Care Workforce Strategy Board.
	The Strategy sets out the intention to 'commission a renewed sector workforce action plan from our delivery partners to take account of Department of Health workforce policy priorities'.
	The Department is currently working closely with our key partners in the social care sector to develop an action plan for the adult social care workforce of the future.
	The Department will aim to publish this plan later this year.

Social Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the  (a) assessment and  (b) funding proposals in the Social Care Green Paper are based solely on the level of need.

Phil Hope: In developing the Green Paper, the Department asked the Personal Social Services Research Unit (PSSRU) to forecast the likely levels of need for care and support until 2026. The methodology used to do this was published by PSSRU in July 2009 at:
	www.pssru.ac.uk/pdf/dp2644.pdf
	The funding options look at different ways to bring money into the system to meet the forecasted levels of need. The different funding options consider both needs and means. The options under consideration are:
	Pay for yourself-where all individuals are responsible for meeting their own care costs. This was ruled out because it would leave many people without the care and support they need;
	Partnership-where everyone who qualified for care and support would be entitled to have a set proportion, for example a quarter or a third of their costs paid for by the state. People who were less well off would have more care paid for, while the least well off people would continue to get all their care free;
	Insurance-under which everyone would be entitled to have a share of their costs of their care and support met by the state but would go further to help people cover the additional costs of their care and support through insurance if they wanted to;
	Comprehensive-where everyone over retirement age who had the resources to do so would be required to pay into a state insurance scheme. Then everyone whose needs meant they qualified for care and support would get all of their basic care and support free when they needed it. It would be possible to vary how much people had to pay according to how much they could afford. The size of people's contribution could be set according to what savings or assets they had so that the system was affordable for people who were less well off; and
	Tax funded-where people would get all of their basic care free and would pay throughout their lives through tax. This was ruled out because it places a heavy burden on people of working age.

Swine Flu

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice he has given to NHS trusts on maintaining sufficient capacity to deal with swine influenza cases; whether any such advice is mandatory or advisory; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: We continue to base our planning work with the national health service for the H1N1 pandemic on independent expert advice. The latest assumptions that we published on 22 October assume that, over this pandemic wave, up to a further 35,000 people who become ill with H1N1 may require hospitalisation. This would be above normal winter levels of flu activity and all NHS organisations have been planning to handle this if necessary, for both adult and paediatric services.
	On 22 October, the National Director of NHS Flu Resilience wrote to NHS trusts to inform them of the revised assumptions and reiterate the need to maintain services for all patients over the winter period. A copy of the letter has been placed in the Library.
	In April this year the Department published guidance on "Managing Demand and Capacity in Health Care organisations (Surge)". The document gives guidance on measures the NHS can take to handle the pressures it will face, including in providing paediatric care during a pandemic. A copy of the guidance has already been placed in the Library.
	To further support local planning, on 10 September a strategy for critical care services entitled, "Critical care strategy: managing the H1N1 flu pandemic (September 2009)", was published that in part sets out how the NHS would work to substantially increase availability of paediatric intensive care beds should this be required at the peak of the pandemic. A copy has already been placed in the Library.
	The local NHS will take steps locally to manage demand from swine influenza following guidance and advice, as they do with all other pressures at other times.

West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many finished consultant episodes there were  (a) in total and  (b) in each speciality at West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust in each of the last five years.

Mike O'Brien: The information requested is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of finished consultant episodes in West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust by main specialty, 2004-05 to 2008-09 
			   Numbers 
			  Main specialty description  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Total 91,662 89,579 86,439 84,831 87,469 
			 Accident and Emergency (A&E) 3,334 4,800 4,674 4,375 2,847 
			 Allied Health Professional Episode 0 0 0 * 0 
			 Anaesthetics 442 506 511 509 676 
			 Cardiology 3,308 3,691 3,889 4,672 4,374 
			 Clinical Haematology 2,583 1,928 2,228 2,384 2,244 
			 Clinical Oncology (previously Radiotherapy) 4,768 820 530 504 422 
			 Critical Care Medicine 0 0 0 0 34 
			 Dermatology 551 252 27 26 11 
			 Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) 1,090 1,236 1,264 1,247 1,366 
			 Endocrinology 200j 129 95 309 391 
			 Gastroenterology 5,767 5,872 6,946 6,518 8,564 
			 General Medicine 8,914 9,313 9,207 4,740 4,366 
			 General Surgery 9,900 9,697 9,829 9,454 9,357 
			 Genitourinary Medicine * 0 0 0 0 
			 Geriatric Medicine 7,501 7,313 6,197 8,810 8,080 
			 Gynaecology 4,487 4,379 4,547 4,110 3,789 
			 Immunopathology 112 138 127 126 133 
			 Learning Disability (previously Mental Health) * 0 0 0 0 
			 Medical Oncology 748 292 69 108 87 
			 Midwife episode 0 0 148 95 1,426 
			 Nephrology 46 20 * * 9 
			 Neurology 17 17 31 35 9 
			 Not known * 0 * 0 0 
			 Obstetrics 8,794 8,619 8,613 9,959 9,682 
			 Ophthalmology 1,841 2,074 2,037 2,353 2,563 
			 Oral Surgery 706 613 602 675 2,110 
			 Paediatrics 4,998 5,430 7,112 8,378 9,008 
			 Palliative Medicine 331 0 0 * 0 
			 Plastic Surgery 7,712 8,018 3,899 0 0 
			 Respiratory Medicine (Thoracic Medicine) 1,225 1,714 1,727 2,786 2,773 
			 Rheumatology 502 816 852 590 642 
			 Trauma and Orthopaedics 7,246 7,390 7,156 7,888 8,266 
			 Urology 4,532 4,502 4,109 4,167 4,240 
			  Notes: 1. A finished consultant episode (FCE) is defined as a continuous period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. FCEs are counted against the year in which they end. It should be noted that the figures do not represent the number of different patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year. 2. 'Consultant main speciality' is defined as the specialty under which the consultant responsible for the care of the patient at that time is registered. Care is needed when analysing hospital episode statistics (HES) data by specialty, or by groups of specialties (such as "acute"). Trusts have different ways of managing specialties and attributing codes so it is better to analyse by specific diagnoses, operations or other patient or service information. 3. A provider code is a unique code that identifies an organisation acting as a health care provider (e.g. NHS trust or primary care trust). Hospital providers can also include Treatment Centres (TC). TCs (also known as Diagnostic Centres) provide elective (planned) surgery for a range of conditions, mainly for day surgery or short-term hospital stay patients. Some Treatment Centres are attached to hospital trusts and HES enables data for these to be separately identified from the rest of the health care provider's data. It does this by adding TC to the trust code; if there is more than one per trust T1, T2, T3 etc. are suggested unless already in use by the trust. Activity performed in the remainder of the trust is identified by the health care provider code being followed by an 'X'. Hospital providers beginning with an 'N' indicates an independent sector health care provider. 4. To protect patient confidentiality, figures between one and 5 have been suppressed and replaced with "*" (an asterisk). Where it was possible to identify numbers from the total due to a single suppressed number in a row or column, an additional number (the next smallest) has been suppressed. 5. HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. The quality and coverage of the data have improved over time. These improvements in information submitted by the national health service have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Some of the increase in figures for later years (particularly 2006-07 onwards) may be due to the improvement in the coverage of independent sector activity. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example, a number of procedures may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and may no longer be accounted for in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time. 6. HES are compiled from data sent by over 300 NHS trusts and PCTs in England. Data are also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. 7. Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector.  Source: HES, The NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

JUSTICE

Christmas

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many Christmas functions arranged by his Department and its agencies  (a) he,  (b) officials of his Department and  (c) officials of its agencies (i) hosted and (ii) attended in 2008; what the cost to the public purse was; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: The information requested is set out as follows:
	 Secretary of State
	I hosted one Christmas function in 2008. This was an event attended by approximately 50 members of the national media. The total cost of the function was £1,199.90 (excluding VAT). This expenditure included the provision of finger food and beverages, and the cost of staffing and equipment.
	I did not attend any Christmas functions arranged by the Ministry or its agencies other than the one I hosted above.
	 Officials at the Department and its agencies
	The Department and its agencies do not fund Christmas parties, although staff may personally contribute towards the cost of such an event.
	Attendance at and hosting of hospitality events, including Christmas parties, by Department and agency staff is recorded in local hospitality registers, in accordance with Ministry of Justice policy. These data are not collated centrally, and gathering information from local registers (including operational establishments) would be possible only at disproportionate cost.
	Details of the Corporate Management Board hospitality register 2007, for hospitality received, has been published externally on the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics/civil_service/hospitality.aspx
	The hospitality register has not been updated for 2008 yet.
	At any time of year, awards may be made through the reward and recognition scheme in line with departmental guidelines for team celebrations, including modest parties.

Court Funds Office: Fees and Charges

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the fee income of the Court Funds Office was in 2008-09.

Bridget Prentice: The Court Funds Office did not receive any fee income in 2008-09. CFO has no statutory ability to charge fees so does not receive an income from fees.
	The statutory responsibilities of the Court Funds Office are set out in the Supreme Court Act 1981 and the Administration of Justice Act 1982 (AJA). CFO's operational responsibilities are defined further in the Court Funds Rules 1987. These pieces of legislation do not give CFO the power to levy any fees on its clients.

Court Funds Office: Fees and Charges

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what fees and charges were covered by the reference to fees and charges levied by the Court Funds Office on page 96 of his Department's Resource Accounts 2008-09.

Bridget Prentice: The reference to fees and charges in the 2008-09 MoJ Resources Accounts is for accounting purposes. CFO has no statutory ability to charge fees to its clients.
	As set out on page 97 of the 2008-09 MoJ Resource Accounts, the CFO generally recovers the full cost of operations from the UK Debt Management Office each year on a reimbursement basis, in accordance with the Administration of Justice Act 1982. The large surplus in 2008-09 has arisen because of a change in the basis on which income is recognised from cash to accruals. The income reflects £7.5 million in relation to costs incurred in 2007-08 and £5.8 million in relation to costs incurred in 2008-09. In future, fees and expenditure will be on the same basis and will be aligned.

Court Funds Office: Fees and Charges

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of the fee income of the Court Funds Office in 2008-09 related to  (a) Court of Protection cases,  (b) payments into court and  (c) unclaimed balances.

Bridget Prentice: The Court Funds Office did not receive any fee income in 2008-09. CFO has no statutory ability to charge fees so does not receive an income from fees.
	The statutory responsibilities of the Court Funds Office are set out in the Supreme Court Act 1981 and the Administration of Justice Act 1982 (AJA). CFO's operational responsibilities are defined further in the Court Funds Rules 1987. These pieces of legislation do not give CFO the power to levy any fees on its clients.

Courts

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of the merits of using virtual courts; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Ward: A pilot of Virtual Courts began in May 2009 and is currently operating at 15 police stations in London, linked to Camberwell Green magistrates court; and one police station in Kent, linked to Medway magistrates court.
	Virtual Courts enable defendants to appear in a magistrates' court for a first hearing while still physically located in the police station where they are charged. As at 30 October 2009, the pilot had dealt with 263 cases. Where cases can be heard on the same day that the defendant is charged, the average time from charge to first hearing is four hours. More than half of defendants have been sentenced at their Virtual Court hearing.
	The evaluation of the pilot is now underway and is due to report in September 2010. This will provide an assessment of the extent to which Virtual Courts enable resources to be used more efficiently. It will also explore the wider impact of the Virtual Court process to ensure that there is no adverse impact on the fairness of the process for defendants, and gather feedback from victims, witnesses and practitioners.

Departmental Visits Abroad

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on overnight accommodation for  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials while overseas in each of the last three years.

Jack Straw: Since 1999, the Government have published a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over £500 which can be found at the following link:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics/ministers/travel_gifts.aspx
	The Ministry's accounting system does not separately identify the amount spent on overnight accommodation overseas. These costs are subsumed within the broader category of "overseas travel and subsistence" which includes travel and meals as well as accommodation costs, and includes costs incurred by Ministers as well as officials. Expenditure on this 'wider' category of expenditure in the first two financial years of the Ministry's existence, rounded to the nearest £000, is as follows:
	
		
			   £000 
			 2008-09 420 
			 2007-08 524 
		
	
	These figures exclude the 42 local probation boards and trusts as this information is held locally and could be collated only at disproportionate cost.
	All overseas travel and subsistence is completed in line with the Staff Pay and Allowances Handbook, which states that all travel and accommodation should be by the most economical means possible, bearing in mind business need.

Employers' Liability: Insurance

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what representations he has received on the establishment of an employers' liability insurance bureau as an insurance fund of last resort for persons disabled by asbestos; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: As part of its considerations on pleural plaques and other issues relating to asbestos-related diseases the Government are examining the process for tracking and tracing employment and insurance records, as well as looking into the support given to individuals who are unable to trace such records. Representations on these issues, including the possibility of an employers' liability insurance bureau, have been received from a number of interested organisations and individuals.

Housing: Sales

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many domestic property transactions were recorded by the Land Registry in each region in each of the last four quarters for which figures are available.

Michael Wills: The following table shows the total number of registered residential properties sold at full value(1) in each region of England and Wales in the requested timeframe:
	(1) Full value = residential property transactions where the full price has been paid. The figures exclude a number of transactions including, Right to Buy sales at a discount, properties sold by way of a gift, and properties sold under a compulsory purchase order or a court order.
	
		
			  Region name  July to September  2009  April to  Jun e  2009  January to  Mar ch  2009  October to December  2008 
			 North 7,660 7,214 5,069 6,846 
			 North West 15,649 13,999 9,932 13,472 
			 Yorks and Humber 13,839 12,493 8,667 12,315 
			 Wales 7,590 6,845 4,558 6,421 
			 West Midlands 13,794 11,639 8,227 11,078 
			 East Midlands 13,536 11,854 7,827 11,017 
			 East Anglia 9,080 7,543 4,724 6,433 
			 South West 20,562 17,034 10,630 14,111 
			 South East 43,539 34,551 22,573 29,127 
			 Greater London 21,105 15,284 10,744 13,984 
			 All regions 166,354 138,456 92,951 124,804

Housing: Sales

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many properties registered with the Land Registry changed ownership in each of the last six months.

Michael Wills: Land Registry is able to provide information on the total number of registered residential properties sold at full value(1) in each of the last six months for which figures are available. As these figures are extracted using price paid data, no information is available for any properties which have not been sold. The only way to identify other changes of ownership would be to extract data regarding every application over the time period asked for. This could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	(1 )Full value = residential property transactions where the full price has been paid. The figures exclude a number of transactions including, right to buy sales at a discount, properties sold by way of a gift, and properties sold under a compulsory purchase order or a court order.
	
		
			   Total sales (as at  31 October 2009) 
			 April 2009 39,754 
			 May 2009 45,716 
			 June 2009 52,986 
			 July 2009 61,483 
			 August 2009 55,146 
			 September 2009 49,725

Legal aid

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many applications for legal aid from residents of  (a) St. Albans constituency,  (b) Hertfordshire and  (c) the East of England there were in each of the last five years.

Bridget Prentice: Applications for civil legal aid advice are made to individual providers, and we record the number of instances of advice provided, rather than the number of applications made. Applications for civil legal aid representation are made to the Legal Services Commission. Not all applications are granted. The applications received for representation for the last five years in the requested areas is as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  St. Albans( 1)  Hertfordshire  East of England 
			 2004-2005 356 2,120 15,732 
			 2005-2006 347 2,114 15,498 
			 2006-2007 415 2,000 14,935 
			 2007-2008 346 1,691 13,365 
			 2008-2009 330 1,848 13,670 
			 (1) This covers the St. Albans local authority district area.

Magistrates Courts: Wales

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to reduce the costs of enforcement and collection at magistrates courts in Wales.

Bridget Prentice: HMCS is currently in the process of implementing the HMCS Criminal Compliance and Enforcement Services: A Blueprint for 2008 to 2012 across England and Wales. The Blueprint sets out HMCS's strategic objective for enforcement which is for a cheaper, faster and more proportionate system that primarily focuses on 'first time' compliance while continuing to apply the principles of rigorous enforcement to the hard core of defaulters. Wales is currently developing and implementing plans to increase compliance with court orders and make more efficient use of resources.
	The rollout of the HMCS Modernising Money Handling Project (MMHP) in Wales has also contributed to reducing costs associated with collection of financial penalties. The objective of the MMHP was to provide an enhanced range of payment methods that optimise accessibility, convenience and low cost for the fine payer and HMCS by maximising the use of electronic payment methods. The automated systems introduced have reduced the costs associated with cash handling and processing of payments.

National victims service

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent discussions he has had on the effectiveness of the national victims service; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: On 29 September at the Labour party conference I announced my intention to create a national victims' service. I and my officials have discussed the development of the national victims service with a range of partners including: Gillian Guy, chief executive of Victim Support, the Commissioner of Metropolitan Police and Sara Payne, the Victims' Champion. This service is currently being developed and the effectiveness of the service in meeting victims' needs will be core to its development.

Penalty Notices for Disorder

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps are being taken to increase levels of co-ordination between police constabularies to ensure that penalty notices for disorder are not repeatedly issued to the same offender.

Jack Straw: A 24-hour fixed penalty database (PentiP) will be available nationally from 2011. The system will record details of all PNDs and road traffic fixed penalties. At present, police officers can access the Police National Computer which records some, but not all, PNDs, as well as local records to identify if someone has previously received a PND.
	Operational guidance issued to the police states that a penalty notice may not be appropriate for issue where it is known that the suspect has been issued with a number of tickets for disorder offences in the recent past. Revised operational guidance to forces on the issue of PNDs for retail theft and criminal damage was issued on 16 July 2009, making it clear that, for these offences, only one ticket is appropriate. Guidance on PNDs for cannabis possession makes it clear that only one ticket should be issued, as part of the police three-stage escalation enforcement procedure for the offence.

Penalty Notices for Disorder

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he has made an assessment of the efficiency gains made by police forces consequent on the introduction of penalty notices for disorder; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the then Minister of State for the Home Department (Mr. Coaker) on 5 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1772.

Penalty Notices for Disorder

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of the merits of amending the operational guidance issued to police forces to ensure that penalty notices for disorder are issued in police custody; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 October 2009,  Official Report, column 91W.

Penalty Notices for Disorder

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the outcomes were of his Department's study of criminal histories and re-offending rates of penalty notice for disorder recipients for shop theft; and when that study will be published.

Jack Straw: Provisional, unpublished results from a study of recipients of penalty notices for disorder (PNDs) show that of a sample of 13,800 juvenile and adult offenders given a PND for theft during 2005, 33 per cent. reoffended within 12 months of receiving the PND. 35 per cent. of offenders receiving a PND for theft in 2005 had no previous convictions or cautions.
	This study used data recorded on the police national computer and counted as a 'reoffence' any offence committed during the 12-month period that resulted in a conviction or caution. This estimate of reoffending cannot be directly compared to the published reoffending rates for three reasons:
	it includes offences leading to a caution as well as a conviction while the published National Statistics on adult reoffending counts only convictions;
	it covers offenders who in general have very different offending backgrounds to those in the published cohorts; which cover offenders discharged from prison and offenders commencing a court order under probation supervision; and
	it covers both juvenile and adult offenders together, whereas reoffending data are published separately for adults and juveniles.
	The Ministry of Justice will, by the end of 2009, consult on plans to publish a range of reoffending related analyses that are not currently published. This consultation will include data on the criminal histories and reoffending of recipients of penalty notices for disorder.

Prisoners Release: Reoffenders

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 2 November 2009,  Official Report, column 742W, on prisoner release reoffenders, what the original conviction was of the two offenders released on end of custody licence who were later convicted of murder.

Jack Straw: The original offences of the two offenders released on end of custody licence and who were later convicted of murder were assault (two counts) and possession of an offensive weapon respectively.

Prisons: Drugs

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) adult prisons and  (b) young offender institutions (i) had a body orifice security scanner (BOSS) chair and (ii) were using a BOSS chair on 1 June 2009; and how many discoveries of (A) illegal drugs and (B) mobile telephones had been made using those chairs on the latest date for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: I have today issued a written ministerial statement to clarify details around the roll-out of the BOSS chairs. NOMS has now purchased and delivered at least one BOSS chair to every prison that did not already have one (five extra BOSS chairs were purchased for prisons with split sites)-128 in total. This includes the female, open and contracted estate, and nine prisons which have a main function as a young offenders' institution. Immigration removal centres were not included, as the use of mobile phones is not prohibited in those sites.
	NOMS headquarters have not mandated how BOSS chairs must be used. As is the case for many searching technologies and techniques, the decision on how to use the BOSS chairs is for individual Governors to make, and will depend on their local circumstances, including their existing local searching strategies. The relevant Prison Service Instruction (PSI) states: "The frequency of searches using the BOSS and policies for its use are for local discretion".
	The pattern of use will vary over time and it is not possible to say how many BOSS chairs are operational on any given day. According to a recent survey of BOSS chair usage, 115 prisons reported that the BOSS chair was in use. Reasons for non-operation include chairs awaiting repair or return from repairs and awaiting building work to accommodate the chair. Steps have been taken to improve the .provision of maintenance services. Prisons deploy hand-held detection wands as an effective alternative.
	NOMS does not hold records centrally of the number of mobile phones discovered using the BOSS chair. In order to provide the information requested, we would need to contact all Prison Service establishments, ask them to check their local records and to submit this information to headquarters. This would incur disproportionate cost. BOSS chairs are not designed to detect illegal drugs.

Prisons: Inspections

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 20 October 2009,  Official Report, columns 53-54WS, on temporary transfer of prisoners prior to inspection, whether the prisoners moved between HMP Pentonville and HMP Wandsworth were transferred by private contractors; and what record was kept of  (a) the transfer of each prisoner and  (b) the physical condition of each prisoner upon (i) departure and (ii) arrival.

Jack Straw: All but two of the prisoners subject to temporary transfers between Wandsworth and Pentonville during May and June of this year were transferred by private contractors. Two prisoners were originally due to be transferred by private contractors from Wandsworth to Pentonville but, according to the investigation into these matters, were transferred by taxi, and escorted by prison officers.
	All prisoner movements, within and between prisons, are recorded on the local inmate database. Furthermore, policy requires that all prisoner movements should have a prisoner escort record (PER) which contains all relevant information about a prisoner in addition to a documented chain of custody. It has not been possible, in the time available, to obtain the PERs of all the prisoners.
	All the prisoners involved in these transfers were seen by a health care professional either on departure, arrival or both and had entries in their patient records to that effect. The substance of these records is covered by patient confidentiality.

Reoffenders

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  if he will place in the Library copies of the power point presentations the Prime Minister has received since January 2007 on the effectiveness of policies to reduce re-offending rates;
	(2)  if he will place in the Library copies of the power point presentations he has received since January 2007 on the effectiveness of policies to reduce re-offending rates.

Jack Straw: PowerPoint presentations form part of the advice Ministers receive on the development of policy. This policy development continues to evolve, and as such it would not be appropriate to place them in the Library at this time.
	Reoffending rates are published annually as National Statistics in accordance with arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority. The latest statistics were published on 21 May 2009 and show that the rate of reoffending in 2007 has fallen by 11.1 per cent. for adult offenders and 7.5 per cent. for juvenile offenders compared to 2005 (this is set against a target to reduce reoffending by 10 per cent. between 2005 and 2011). The results of research evidence on the effectiveness of policies to reduce reoffending rates can be found on the Ministry of Justice website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/research.htm

Reparation by Offenders

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress has been made in the implementation of reducing re-offending pathways.

Maria Eagle: The reducing reoffending pathways were first proposed by the Social Exclusion Unit in their 2002 report 'Reducing Reoffending by Ex-Prisoners'. The concept was developed in the NOMS National Reducing Reoffending Action Plan (2004) and Delivery Plan (2005). The pathways have been embedded in the cross-government work informing the Delivery Plan for PSA 23: Priority Action 4 which seeks to reduce the volume and seriousness of adult reoffending.
	The National Offender Management Service's 'Annual Report and Accounts 2008-09' states that all 16 of the targets relating to the reoffending pathways, were met. These included:
	providing over 27,000 places on cognitive behavioural programmes;
	providing over 12,000 places on drug programmes and Drug Rehabilitation Requirements;
	ensuring that over 40 per cent. of offenders were employed at the termination of their licence;
	ensuring that 26 per cent. of prisoners entered employment on release;
	ensuring that 70 per cent. of offenders are in settled and suitable accommodation at the end of their order or licence; and
	ensuring that 80 per cent. of prisoners move into settled accommodation upon release.
	The Government will shortly publish 'Improving Health, Supporting Justice', a national delivery plan for improving health and social care services for all those in touch with the criminal justice system. This follows the publication of Lord Bradley's report looking at the needs of offenders with mental health and learning difficulties in April 2009.
	A framework document 'Reducing Reoffending, Supporting Families, Creating Better Futures' was launched last week by the Department of Children Schools and Families (DCSF) and The Ministry of Justice (MOJ). The framework sets out the Departments' shared commitment to working in partnership to improve the delivery of services to the children and families of offenders.
	Work with the Financial Services Authority, Legal Services Commission and the Department for Work and Pensions has helped to develop a consistent approach which will enable offenders to manage their finances.
	The work that has been done within the pathways supports the Government's target to reduce the number of reoffences by 10 per cent. between 2005 and 2011. Reoffending rates are published annually as National Statistics in accordance with arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority. The latest statistics were published on 21 May 2009 and show that the rate of reoffending in 2007 has fallen by 11.1 per cent. for adult offenders and 7.5 per cent. for juvenile offenders compared to 2005 (this is set against a target to reduce reoffending by 10 per cent. between 2005 and 2011).

Shoplifting: Convictions

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many convictions there were for shoplifting in each of the last three years.

Jack Straw: Information showing the number of defendants found guilty at all courts for stealing from shops and stalls (shoplifting) in England and Wales from 2005 to 2007 (latest available) can be viewed in the table. Data for 2008 are planned for publication at the end of January 2010.
	
		
			  Number of defendants found guilty at all courts for shoplifting( 1) , England and Wales, 2005 to 2007( 2,3) 
			  Offence  Statute  2005  2006  2007 
			 Stealing from shops and stalls (shoplifting) Theft  Act 1968  Section 1 64,076 58,536 62,565 
			 (1)Stealing from "shops and stalls" (shoplifting) is an offence under Theft Act 1968, section 1.  (2)The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.  (3)Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.   Source:  Evidence and Analysis Unit-Office for Criminal Justice Reform.

Supreme Court: Costs

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many employees there are in the new Supreme Court; and what their total wage bill is for 2009-10.

Jack Straw: There are 39 employees of the Supreme Court. The total pay wage bill for the first six months of the Court (October 2009 to March 2010) is £910,000. This figure is inclusive of ERNIC (earnings-related national insurance contributions) and ASLC (liability charges, including pension contributions).

Supreme Court: Costs

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the salary is of the Chief Executive of the new Supreme Court.

Jack Straw: The salary of the chief executive of the Supreme Court is £107,000 per annum.

Young Offender Institutions

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his estimate is of the monetary value of the  (a) fixed and  (b) working capital contained in (i) prisons and (ii) young offender institutions (A) in total and (B) per person in custody in each case; and what methodology is used to calculate the values of land and buildings for these purposes.

Maria Eagle: Calculations for  (a) fixed capital and  (b) working capital are not produced for Prisons or Young Offender Institutions because the main financial ledgers (bank, accounts payable and accounts receivable) are held centrally. As a result we cannot give estimates per person in custody either. The National Offender Management Service (NOMS accounts for 2008-09 have been prepared in accordance with the 2008-09 Government Financial Reporting Manual (FReM) issued by HM Treasury, and the Accounts Direction issued by HM Treasury. The accounting policies in the FReM follow UK generally accepted accounting policies for companies (UK GAAP) to the extent that it is meaningful and appropriate to the public sector.
	In accordance with accounting standards the custodial estate was subject to external revaluation at 31 March 2009. Land and Buildings relating to the custodial estate were valued by the Valuation Office Agency at £5.2 billion. Prisons are valued at depreciated replacement cost adopting where appropriate alternative site locations. The valuation was in accordance with the RICS Valuation Standards 6th Edition.
	The NOMS Accounts for 2008-09 show details of fixed and working capital at total NOMS level and Note 7 provides full details of the most recent valuation of the land and buildings. A copy of the accounts is available in the House of Commons Library.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Biofuels

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to promote the production of sustainable biofuels in the UK.

Joan Ruddock: The UK was instrumental in ensuring the EU renewable energy directive contains sustainability criteria that will apply from December 2010 to biofuels for transport and bioliquids for heat and electricity, used in the UK and in other European member states.
	The directive also placed a requirement on the Commission to report on the need for sustainability criteria for the solid biomass used for heat and electricity by 31 December 2009, and to bring forward proposals as appropriate. Ahead of this, in April 2009, we introduced a sustainability reporting requirement to the Renewables Obligation for electricity generators over 50kW combusting biomass. In addition, grant applications to our energy crops scheme are subject to an environmental assessment.

Biofuels

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of the potential contribution of biodiesel produced from used cooking oil to the production of renewable electricity and heat.

Joan Ruddock: Estimates of the availability of used cooking oil (UCO) for biodiesel production were made as part of the WRAP/EA 2008 financial impact assessment report for the production and use of biodiesel derived from cooking oil and rendered animal fat (tallow). This states:
	"It is thought around 108Kt/yr of UCO is currently collected from catering premises"
	and:
	"UCO from food factories is thought to be around 20Kt/yr."
	The report points out that this latter material is of higher quality and is primarily used for animal feed. The report also quotes independent analysis by the university of Swansea (Jones, P. (2004). The Collection of Used Vegetable Oil at Civic Amenity Sites. MRES Thesis, university of Swansea) which suggests that up to 30,000 tonnes per year could be available from households. However, WRAP considers that domestically-derived used cooking oil is likely to be contaminated and of poor quality, requiring considerable cleaning and blending before it is suitable for conversion to biodiesel. In total, the report estimates that:
	"across all sources total UCO arisings are at least 250Kt/yr,"
	much of which is poured down the drain or landfilled.
	The report further estimates that approximately 82,000 tonnes of waste vegetable oil is being transformed into biodiesel each year for use in the transport, heat or power sectors, with approximately 20,000 tonnes/yr being exported, 5,000 tonnes/yr used in the oleochemical industry and 1,000 tonnes/yr either incinerated or used in CHP.

Carbon Emissions

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has received any recent representations on proposals for a zero-carbon economy.

Joan Ruddock: I am not aware of any recent representations to the Department on proposals for a zero-carbon economy.

Carbon Emissions

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with the Swedish Presidency of the Council of Ministers on proposals for an international climate change agreement on carbon emissions.

Joan Ruddock: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is in frequent contact with the Swedish Environment Minister, Andreas Carlgren concerning all aspects of an International Climate Change Agreement, including emissions reduction proposals and targets. The Ministers most recently met to discuss this in Barcelona on 31 October and at Environment Council in Brussels on 21 October.

Coal

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many tonnes of coal have been produced in the UK in each of the last five years.

David Kidney: The following table shows published figures on UK coal production for the last five years.
	
		
			  Thousand tonnes 
			   Deep-mined production  Opencast production  Total production( 1) 
			 2004 12,542 11,993 24,535 
			 2005 9,563 10,445 20,008 
			 2006 9,444 8,635 18,079 
			 2007 7,674 8,866 16,540 
			 2008 8,096 9,509 17,604 
			 (1) These figures exclude estimates of slurry recovered from ponds, dumps, rivers etc.  Source: Digest of UK Energy Statistics 2009, Table 2.7, available at: http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/source/coal/coal.aspx

Coal

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many people have been employed in the UK coal industry in each of the last five years.

David Kidney: The following table shows UK coal employment figures for the last five years.
	
		
			   Average UK coal industry employment 
			 2004 7,909 
			 2005 6,536 
			 2006 5,562 
			 2007 5,411 
			 2008 5,805 
			  Source: UK Coal Authority, available at: http://www.coal.gov.uk/publications/miningtechnology/index.cfm

Departmental Postal Services

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which companies are under contract to his Department to provide mail services; and when each such contract expires.

Joan Ruddock: Since DECC's inception, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) manage the Department's estate, including mail services. I refer the hon. Member to the answers given by my hon. Friends the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Rural Affairs and Environment at DEFRA on 3 November 2009,  Official Report, column 800W and the Minister of State for Employment Relations and Postal Affairs at BIS on 3 November 2009,  Official Report, column 967W.

Electricity

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what percentage of electricity has been generated from  (a) coal,  (b) nuclear power,  (c) renewables and  (d) gas in each of the last five years.

David Kidney: The percentage shares of UK electricity generation by coal, nuclear, renewables and gas, from 2004 to 2008 are given in the following table:
	
		
			   Coal-fired electricity generation in the UK  Nuclear electricity generation in the UK  Renewables sourced electricity generation in the UK  Gas-fired electricity generation in the UK 
			  Total electricity generation in the UK  GWh  Percentage share of total  GWh  Percentage share of total  GWh  Percentage share of total  GWh  Percentage share of total 
			 393,929 GWh 131,788 33.5 79,999 20.3 14,147 3.6 157,064 39.9 
			 398,303 GWh 134,637 33.8 81,618 20.5 16,940 4.3 152,642 38.3 
			 397,292 GWh 149,214 37.6 75,451 19.0 18,116 4.6 140,828 35.4 
			 397,044 GWh 136,545 34.4 63,028 15.9 19,646 4.9 165,784 41.5 
			 389,649 GWh 125,315 32.2 52,486 13.5 21,597 5.5 176,749 45.4

Energy Supply

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the Government's latest estimate is of the  (a) date and  (b) level of peak global production of (i) oil, (ii) gas, (iii) coal and (iv) uranium-235.

David Kidney: The Government do not estimate global resources. Data are available from a range of publications-the International Energy Agency (hereafter IEA) is an authoritative source. The Government do, however, publish the Energy Markets Outlook, an annual report on UK Security of Supply, which includes discussion of longer term availability of fuels.
	Domestically, the UK has only recently passed an ambitious Climate Change Act and DECC has recently published the UK low carbon transition plan. Our climate change and energy security policies outlined there are not only reducing the UK's carbon emissions, but are consistent with the need to reduce our use of fossil fuels. In addition, the Government are reforming the regulatory framework for planning and consents through the Energy and Planning Acts 2008, which will help to improve the security of our energy supplies.
	For information, the following provides information on future supplies for each fuel.
	 (i) Oil
	The IEA's view(1) is that there are reserves to meet demand at least through to 2030, if sufficient investment in production capacity is forthcoming. Thus the immediate risk to oil production is not the level of resources and reserves, but the world's ability to convert these reserves into production now and in the long run. The UK recognises that tight oil markets could lead to high and volatile oil prices with potential negative effects on the economy.
	 (ii) Gas
	As with oil, the IEA foresees that gas reserves are more than sufficient to meet demand to 2030, with remaining reserves more than doubling since 1980, and by more than 15 per cent. for every year since 2000. Moreover, despite rising annual production, new discoveries presently exceeded production. The IEA therefore forecasts that production will be able to meet the growth in demand until at least 2030.
	 (iii) Coal
	According to the Department of Energy and Climate Change's December 2008 Energy Market Outlook, coal is the most abundant fossil fuel in terms of reserves. These reserves are geographically well dispersed, with economically recoverable reserves in more than 70 countries worldwide. The IEA similarly suggests that there are more than enough coal reserves to meet the growth in global demand until 2030. However, sufficient investment will be needed in new mining projects and prospecting.
	 (iv) Nuclear
	The OECD/NEA and IAEA collates information about uranium resources and publishes a comprehensive report(2) every two years. The OECD/NEA concluded in a forward looking report on nuclear energy in November 2008(3) that identified uranium resources are sufficient to fuel an expansion of global nuclear generating capacity, without reprocessing, at least until 2050. Based on regional geological data, resources that are expected to exist could increase uranium supply to several hundreds of years.
	 References:
	(1) As outlined in their World Energy Outlook 2008 (published in November 2008). Any references to the IEA are taken from this publication.
	(2) The most recent report was published in June 2008. Uranium 2007: Resources, Production and Demand (The Red Book).
	(3) Nuclear Energy Outlook. OECD/NEA, November 2008.

Energy: Housing

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what change in average Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) ratings of  (a) all and  (b) new-build housing stock in England has been achieved in each SAP band A to G in each year since 2005; what assessment he has made of how the actual energy rating of new-build houses corresponds with that predicted by their developers; what representations he has received on the post-build level of energy efficiency in new-build houses; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	The English House Condition Survey reports annually on the energy efficiency of the housing stock as a whole. The proportion of housing in England in each energy efficiency rating band between 2005 and 2007 (the latest estimates available) are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Housing stock (England) by energy efficiency rating band, 2005 to 2007 
			   Band A/B  Band C  Band D  Band E  Band F  Band G 
			 2005 0.1 6.8 27.7 41.7 19.3 4.4 
			 2006 0.2 7.0 29.8 41.3 17.5 4.3 
			 2007 0.2 7.7 33.0 39.9 15.3 4.0 
			  Note:  The rating bands are based on the energy efficiency (SAP) rating with band A indicating the most efficient and band G the least efficient housing. The number of dwellings in band A is too small for the sample survey to provide a robust estimate and therefore bands A and B have been combined.  Source:  English House Condition Survey. 
		
	
	The proportion of housing in more energy efficient bands A to D increased from 35 per cent. to 41 per cent. of the whole stock over this period. Over the same period, the proportion in the less efficient bands F and G fell from 24 per cent. to 19 per cent.
	In line with procedure for the publication of official statistics, the data for the average SAP rating of new-build housing and are being published on 10 November.
	The Department recently completed a joint project with the Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes (EEPfH) looking at compliance levels for new homes built to the standards required by the 2006 amendment of Part L (Conservation of fuel and power) of the Building Regulations. Two reports have been published at the EEPfH website at
	www.eeph.org.uk.
	The Department has received representations from a range of interests about compliance with the Building Regulations.

Fuel Poverty

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many households in  (a) Mid Bedfordshire constituency,  (b) Bedfordshire,  (c) the East of England and  (d) England are living in fuel poverty.

David Kidney: The most recently available sub-regional split of fuel poverty relates to 2006, and shows that there were around 2,900 fuel poor households in the Mid-Bedfordshire constituency and around 12,500 fuel poor households in Bedfordshire.
	More recent figures are available for England and the regions. These show that in 2007, there were around 253,000 fuel poor households in the east of England and 2.8 million fuel poor households in England.

Hydrogen

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the merits of underground storage of hydrogen fuel cells.

David Kidney: We have assumed that the question is intended to refer to the underground storage of hydrogen, not hydrogen fuel cells.
	The Department of Energy and Climate Change has not made an assessment of the merits of underground storage of hydrogen.
	Underground storage of hydrogen in geologically suitable sites could provide a useful buffering capacity to enable supply to be matched to demand. Such a situation could arise if the UK were to achieve a high market penetration of fuel cell powered vehicles, but this is not expected to occur until 2020 or later. Hydrogen is in widespread use in oil refineries and as an industrial chemical. Hydrogen has been stored successfully in salt caverns in Teesside to meet the demands of the petrochemical industry.

Microgeneration: Government Assistance

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to promote on-site micro-generation projects.

Joan Ruddock: The Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP) is our £131 million grant programme offering funding for small scale onsite energy technologies to householders, public, community and not-for profit-sectors.
	Phase 1 (currently open to householders) was recently extended from 1 July 2010 until March 2011 with an additional budget of £1 million for 2009-10 and £5 million for 2010-11. To date Phase 1 of the programme has committed £24.6 million to 12,175 projects.
	Phase 2 of the programme (community, public/non profit sector)-has already allocated over £62 million to 2,851 projects. This part of the programme was also extended from 1 July 2009 until 30 March 2011 with a budget of £39 million for 2009-10 and £10 million for 2010-11. The extension will continue to provide grant funding to charitable, community groups and public sector organisation projects.
	Working with the Energy Saving Trust (EST) we are publicising the Phase 1 householder funding stream through a network of local energy advice centres providing information and the Act on CO2 website and helpline to inform and assist consumers.
	We will shortly be implementing a promotional campaign for Phase 2 through a series of 'road shows' and presentations in all English regions, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland-raising awareness of the fact that organisations can apply for 50 per cent. of the cost for installing approved technologies up to a maximum of £200,000 per application. We hope to see as many projects as possible coming forward to achieve their ambitions and install small scale onsite technologies.
	Planning regulations for domestic small scale renewable energy installations which have little or no impact beyond the host property have been relaxed and we have introduced the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) providing improved consumer confidence in the quality and reliability of microgeneration products and installations.
	We have enhanced incentives to install microgeneration technologies with increased support through the Renewables Obligation (which places an obligation on UK suppliers of electricity to source an increasing proportion of their electricity from renewable sources). Going forward, two new financial incentives will have a real impact on pushing small scale onsite energy technologies into the forefront of our energy future. Feed-in tariffs for electricity will act as a major incentive for the development of the market up to 5 MW, and we are working to have feed-in tariffs in place in April 2010.
	Our Renewable Heat Incentive or payments for every kilowatt of renewable heat produced will be one of the world's first financial mechanisms to support renewable heat technologies. Like the feed-in tariffs, our aim is to make the RHI as accessible, flexible and user-friendly as possible to potential investors in renewable heat at all scales, from the household scale up to the large industrial scale.

Natural Gas: Prices

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will make it his policy to  (a) estimate the level of profits made by gas companies which do not adjust their charges in line with a reduction in energy prices and  (b) assess the effects on consumers of the practices of such companies.

David Kidney: Energy suppliers often buy gas and electricity many months in advance in order to protect from short-term fluctuations in wholesale costs. This generally results in a time lag between wholesale and retail price movements. In response to a request from the Government, the regulator Ofgem now reports on a quarterly basis on movements in wholesale costs, suppliers' margins and retail prices. This is leading to a greater transparency in the relationship between these factors. Ofgem is also responsible for monitoring and promoting competition in these markets.

Nuclear Power Stations

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with each company which has expressed an interest in building new nuclear power plants on  (a) setting a floor price for carbon,  (b) updating insurance arrangements for new-build reactors and  (c) the financing of radioactive waste management and decommissioning of new nuclear power plants in the last 12 months; and if he will publish the minutes of each meeting with each such company.

David Kidney: Ministers meet regularly with a range of energy companies and other organisations, and discuss a large number of issues, including issues related to new nuclear power stations. Ministers will continue to do so in the future.

Oil Fired Power Stations

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many tonnes of oil were burned to produce electricity in oil-fired power stations in the UK in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006,  (c) 2007 and  (d) 2008.

David Kidney: The following table shows published figures on the oil used in UK power stations for 2005 to 2008:
	
		
			  Million tonnes 
			   Oil used by major power producers  Oil used by other generators  Total oil used in generation 
			 2005 0.79 0.42 1.22 
			 2006 0.81 0.47 1.28 
			 2007 0.54 0.44 0.99 
			 2008 0.84 0.41 1.25 
			  Note:  This also includes oil used in power stations where co-fired with coal, gas and biomass.   Source:  Digest of UK Energy Statistics, 2009, Table 5.4, available at: http://decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/stallstics/source/electricity/electricity.aspx

Oil Fired Power Stations

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many kilowatt hours of electricity were produced via oil-fired power stations produced in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006,  (c) 2007 and  (d) 2008.

David Kidney: The following table shows the amount of oil-fired generation between 2005 and 2008.
	
		
			  GWh 
			   Major power producers  Other generators  Total oil-fired generation 
			 2005 2,921 2,417 5,388 
			 2006 3,359 2,450 5,809 
			 2007 2,401 2,331 4,732 
			 2008 3,667 2,434 6,101 
			  Note:  This also includes oil's share of generation when co-fired with other fuels.   Source:  Digest of UK Energy Statistics, 2009, Table 5.6, available at: http://decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/source/electricity/electricity.aspx

Renewable Energy

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the relative costs and benefits of  (a) photovoltaic tiles and  (b) wind turbines.

David Kidney: holding answer 26 October 2009
	The analysis underpinning Renewable Energy Strategy, published in July 2009, used assumptions on the generating costs of different electricity generating technologies to 2020, full details of which are set out in Element (2009) and Redpoint/Trilemma (2009), which are available on the DECC website. The following table summarises these assumptions with respect to solar photovoltaic and wind generation in 2009.
	
		
			  Technology (source)  Capital expenditure (£/kW)  Operating expenditure (£/kW/year)  Load factor (percentage)  Technology life (years) 
			 Solar photovoltaics up to 5000kW in size (Element, 2009) 4,000-5,300 20-44 ~10 25 
			 Wind 15kW to 5000kW in size (Element, 2009) 1,500-3,000 44-74 2-32 10-20 
			 Onshore wind large-scale (Redpoint/Trilemma, 2009) 1,172-1,329 40 21-29 20 
			 Offshore wind (Redpoint/Trilemma, 2009) 2,159-3,036 68 35-41 20 
		
	
	Wind generation in the UK generally faces lower capital costs and higher operating costs than solar photovoltaic generation.
	Each unit of energy from new wind and photovoltaic installations are assumed to replace an equivalent supply of conventional electricity generation. The conventional electricity would be produced at a lower generation cost, and wind and photovoltaic generation thus impose a resource cost on the UK economy.
	However, both wind and photovoltaic generation involve very low level of carbon dioxide emissions over their lifetimes. By replacing conventional electricity generation, wind and photovoltaics reduce the carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity sector, and thus a unit of energy from either creates the same carbon-related benefits through reducing the number of EU Allowances for greenhouse gas emissions the UK electricity sector has to buy within the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (or increasing the number to sell). Other costs and benefits of renewables deployment, such as those relating to security of supply and the wider economy, are considered in the impact assessment for the Renewable Energy Strategy.
	Both wind and solar photovoltaics are expected to play important roles in achieving the UK's 2020 renewables target.

Renewable Energy: Developing Countries

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on technology transfers to developing nations to enable them to harness renewable energy and combat climate change.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 5 November 2009
	The Government are pushing for an ambitious, effective and fair agreement at the 15(th) Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, in Copenhagen; the agreement will drive the development of climate technologies and their deployment in developing countries. My ministerial colleagues and I have had many discussions with counterparts in other countries' Governments over recent months on the issue of technology and climate change. These have been through multilateral fora such as the Major Economies Forum and the Danish-hosted Greenland Dialogue, as well as bilaterally. In October, Lord Hunt attended the Delhi High Level Conference on Climate Change: Technology Deployment and Transfer hosted by the Indian Government.

Renewable Energy: Developing Countries

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he plans to have before the United Nations Climate Change Conference with his international counterparts on technology transfers to developing nations to enable them to harness renewable energy and combat climate change.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 5 November 2009
	The Government are pushing for an ambitious, effective and fair agreement in Copenhagen that will drive the development of climate technologies and their deployment in developing countries. Ministers from the Department of Energy and Climate Change have had many discussions with their international counterparts on the issue of technology and climate change and will continue to do so in the run-up to the 15(th) Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, in Copenhagen.

Warm Front Scheme

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 16 October 2009,  Official Report, column 1152W, on the Warm Front Scheme, what proportion of households received second surveys in each month since July 2009.

David Kidney: holding answer 2 November 2009
	The following table indicates the proportion of second surveys carried out as percentage of the total surveys in each month since July 2009. This proportion is considerably higher than the overall proportion referred to in my previous answer because the increases in the Warm Front grant maxima, announced in April 2009, have meant that more households have been able to return to the scheme for additional measures.
	
		
			  Month  Proportion (percentage) 
			 July 2009 17 
			 August 2009 15 
			 September 2009 13

Warm Front Scheme: Mobile Homes

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what products are being trialled for inclusion in the Warm Front scheme for the heating and insulation of park home properties; where such trials are taking place; and what criteria are being used to assess their suitability for inclusion in the scheme.

David Kidney: Warm Front will be undertaking a piloting exercise of insulation technologies for park home properties. Technologies will be assessed against a variety of criteria, including cost of installation, energy savings and customer satisfaction. Details of the pilot, including the specific technology types and target areas, are currently being finalised.

Wind Power

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the effects on local communities of the siting of wind turbines near them.

David Kidney: The Department has not made any recent assessment on the effects on local communities of the siting of wind farms near them.
	However, DECC carries out an annual survey on renewable energy awareness and attitudes. The results of the 2009 annual survey were published on 5 November 2009. It revealed that 62 per cent. of the general public would be happy to live within five kilometres (three miles) of a wind power development. Those who reported being influenced by living near to a renewable energy development were more likely to agree with this statement compared with those who did not (79 per cent. compared to 58 per cent.), as had been found in previous years of the same survey.

Wind Power

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of progress on installation of wind powered generation to contribute to his 2020 targets.

David Kidney: We currently have 4 gigawatts (GW) of operational wind power. Electricity generation from offshore wind increased by 67 per cent. from 2007 to 2008 alone. We also achieved a 29 per cent. increase in electricity generation from onshore wind over the same period.
	The UK does not have any targets for wind power generation in 2020. However, under the lead scenario in the recently published Renewable Energy Strategy, more than 30 per cent. of our electricity could be generated from renewables by 2020. Much of this would be from onshore and offshore wind.

Wind Power

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the declared net capacity is of onshore windfarms in the UK; and what percentage of his wind targets for 2020 that figure represents.

David Kidney: The total declared net capacity of wind power in 2008 was 1,432 megawatts (MW). Onshore wind's share of this was 1,188 MW(1). The UK does not have any targets for wind power generation in 2020. However, under the lead scenario in the recently published Renewable Energy Strategy, more than 30 per cent. of our electricity could be generated from renewables by 2020. Much of this would be from onshore and offshore wind.
	(1) Source:
	DUKES 2009, table 7.1.1:
	http://decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/source/renewables/renewabkes.aspx

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Dams

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on whether the Kajaki Dam in Afghanistan is fully operational.

Ivan Lewis: The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has completed the rehabilitation of the two existing Kajaki Dam hydroelectric turbines, restoring them to their full operational capacity. Their combined generation produces approximately 33 megawatts of electricity, which is enough electricity for about 200,000 people.
	The rehabilitation of the second of these turbines was completed in October 2009, and will double the generation capacity available to Helmand and Kandahar Provinces. Additionally, in September 2009 the construction of a new substation and electricity grid was completed, improving the electrical distribution efficiency for Lashkar Gah city.
	USAID is committed to installing a third unit at Kajaki which would increase the generation capacity to 51 megawatts, and to constructing a new transmission line from Kajaki to Kandahar when the security situation becomes permissive.

Afghanistan: Drugs

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much the Government has spent on counter-narcotics work in Afghanistan in each year since 2001.

Ivan Lewis: Before 2004, the UK did not have a dedicated counter-narcotics (CN) programme in Afghanistan; projects targeting the drugs trade were funded from other programmes.
	In 2005, the Afghan drugs interdepartmental unit was created to manage the UK's increasing counter-narcotics effort. Since then, UK expenditure on the CN programme in Afghanistan has been as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2005-06 46.8 
			 2006-07 45.8 
			 2007-08 43.8 
			 2008-09 49.2 
			 2009-10 (1)36.7 
			 (1) Forecast figure. 
		
	
	The majority of this funding is drawn from the FCO's Strategic Programme Fund.
	CN is a crucial component of our counter-insurgency effort. Our CN programme includes support for the interdiction and prosecution of major drug traffickers and the provision of alternative livelihoods for farmers, including support to Governor Mangal's Helmand Counter-Narcotics campaign. There have been some successes. In September, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) confirmed a 22 per cent. decrease in opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan in 2008-including a 33 per cent. reduction in Helmand. This builds on last year's success, when UNODC recorded a 19 per cent. fall in cultivation. Growing Afghan law enforcement capacity is increasingly having an impact on corruption and on the insurgency, with steady increases in the number of significant drug traffickers convicted and the amount of drugs seized.

Anti-Semitism: Eastern Europe

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received in 2009 on levels of anti-Semitism in  (a) Ukraine,  (b) Latvia and  (c) Estonia; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Bryant: We are aware of a number of localised anti-Semitic incidents in Ukraine, including desecration of cemeteries, synagogues, private properties and Holocaust memorials, which have been reported in the local media this year. We take a serious view of these dreadful incidents and continue to urge the Ukrainian authorities to tackle them in a determined way in accordance with Ukraine's international commitments. The British embassy in Kyiv remains in contact with local human rights organisations and senior representatives of Ukraine's Jewish community. The British ambassador met the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine in October 2009. We have not received reports of violent attacks on Jewish people, synagogues or property in Latvia or Estonia in 2009, but we keep a close eye on any anti-Semitic political developments.

British Council: Manpower

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 27 October 2009,  Official Report, column 253W, on the British Council: manpower, how many temporary staff are employed by the British Council; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Bryant: On 9 September 2009 the British Council had 199 temporary workers in the UK. However it is unable to provide this information for its overseas office without incurring disproportionate cost.

Chevening Scholarships Programme

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Chevening scholarships were awarded to individuals from  (a) Bangladesh,  (b) Nepal,  (c) India,  (d) China and  (e) Pakistan in each of the last 10 years.

Chris Bryant: The number of Chevening scholars from each country over the last 10 years is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Chevening scholars 
			  Number 
			   1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Bangladesh 10 6 9 15 15 10 8 12 7 10 
			 Nepal 5 10 8 6 10 3 4 4 3 2 
			 India 125 135 130 133 121 130 80 77 51 33 
			 China 186 177 171 230 311 277 216 163 172 111 
			 Pakistan 50 51 51 57 62 52 39 41 38 26

Colombia: Political Prisoners

Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received estimating the number of political prisoners held in Colombia.

Chris Bryant: holding answer 5 November 2009
	There is a wide variety of reports from different sources with diverging estimates of alleged political prisoners in Colombia. We wholly condemn any government that targets or imprisons individuals for their political orientation.
	We are aware of allegations that Colombian individuals are being imprisoned or charged with offences, as a result of their political views or activities. We have pointed out to the Colombian authorities that those charged with crimes should have their legal rights fully respected, including to a fair trial. We regularly make representations to the Colombian Government on human rights.

Colombia: Trade Unions

Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the number of convictions secured in cases where trade unionists in Colombia have disappeared.

Chris Bryant: Many vulnerable groups, including trade unionists, face constant violence and intimidation in Colombia. Every murder, threat or forced disappearance of a trade unionist or human rights defender is one too many. We call on the Colombian Government to do everything they can to ensure that those in Colombia who fight to defend human rights are able to do their work safely and without fear, and that the perpetrators of crimes against them are pursued and held accountable for their actions.
	The level of impunity in Colombia is of real concern which is why the UK has committed £250,000 to projects to help tackle this particular problem.

Departmental Publicity

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with which countries his Department has liaised about the Know Before You Go campaign.

Chris Bryant: The Know Before You Go (KBYG) campaign is aimed at providing travel guidance to British nationals before they travel to their destinations. As such the KBYG campaign itself is targeted at UK audiences and does not directly involve other country participation within the UK. However, to ensure the KBYG messages are relevant, and to help in producing bespoke media campaigns to reach our key target audiences, we often require feedback from our overseas posts which may involve liaison with the host country. The Department could obtain this information from its UK Departments and 250 overseas posts only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Publicity

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much money his Department has spent on the Know Before You Go campaign in each year since its inception in 2001.

Chris Bryant: Spending on the Know Before You Go campaign since 2001 is as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2001-02 754,939.00 
			 2002-03 616,447.00 
			 2003-04 811,819.00 
			 2004-05 683,900 
			 2005-06 940,570 
			 2006-07 924,000 
			 2007-08 1,132,768 
			 2008-09 1,494,126 
		
	
	The know Before You Go campaign is self-funded by a percentage of the revenue generated from passport sales. The Know Before You campaign (KBYG) is evaluated on a six monthly basis to ensure that targets are being met and that we are getting value for money. In 2008-09, the Know Before You Go campaign achieved a return on investment of 20:1 (against a target of 6:1). Through media campaigns in 2008-09, 64 per cent. of all UK adults were reached an average of 2.3 times a month.

Departmental Telephone Services

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 28 October 2009 to the hon. Member for Winchester,  Official Report, column 381W, on departmental telephone services, how many call handlers are employed to operate his Department's travel advice telephone information line.

Chris Bryant: The call centre, operated by Teleperformance, utilises a rotational shift pattern. At any one time, at least six call handlers are available to answer calls relating to Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice. The shift pattern is under constant review, and is amended according to demand. In periods of high pressure, on-call staff are available to reinforce those already available

Diplomatic Service: Databases

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 14 July 2009,  Official Report, column 334W, on the Locate system, if he will place in the Library a copy of the audit of the system undertaken in March 2009.

Chris Bryant: No. The audit was simply a process to collate feedback on Locate from our network of overseas posts and was for internal purposes only. It is not presented in a formal audit format.

Hezbollah

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the extent to which Hezbollah has rearmed in south Lebanon; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Hezbollah have themselves claimed that they have rearmed in South Lebanon. However, there have not been any independently corroborated reports.
	This remains a serious concern. We expect a further report from the United Nations on recent security incidents in southern Lebanon during their regular report on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 on 10 November. We continue to call upon all parties to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701 fully.

Honduras: Human Rights

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department takes to monitor the human rights situation in Honduras.

Chris Bryant: We are concerned about reports of human rights violations in the Honduras since the political crisis began in June-in particular the growing restrictions imposed on the Honduran population since President Zelaya's return to Tegucigalpa on 21 September 2009
	We continue to monitor the situation through discussions with those EU Partners who have embassies in Tegucigalpa and with UK-based non-governmental organisations operating in Honduras. UK officials from our embassy in Guatemala City have visited Tegucigalpa periodically since the crisis began, most recently between 21 September and 2 October 2009. A Mission representing the Organisation of American States Inter-American Commission on Human Rights visited Honduras last month. We await the report of their visit.
	We hope that the signing, by representatives of President Zelaya and the de facto government, of an accord on 30 October will lead to the establishment of a power sharing government, and a return to full democratic, constitutional order and respect for human rights in the country.

Israel: Foreign Relations

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to develop UK relations with Israel during the last 12 months; what such steps he plans to take in the next six months; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Israel is a close ally of the UK and we have regular productive exchanges at all levels, going far beyond relations between governments. Our political relations allow us to address openly issues both of common concern and where we disagree. Most recently, on 27 October, I met the Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon. We will continue to foster this relationship and use it to further the interests of both countries and the wider region.

Kosovo: Elections

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) funding and  (b) personnel the Government have provided to support the monitoring of the municipal elections in Kosovo; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Bryant: The UK will contribute two short-term observers to the European Network of Election Monitoring Officials (ENEMO) Observation Mission. Our British embassy in Pristina will also conduct its own monitoring on election day, consisting of an estimated 20 members of staff (UK-based and locally engaged staff, including volunteers from other British embassies in the region). We are currently in discussions with the International Civilian Office in Kosovo to ensure that we co-ordinate our activity with that planned by other organisations and embassies.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of allegations of vandalism by Palestinians of  (a) synagogues and  (b) other structures in settlements in Gaza evacuated by the government of Israel in 2005; whether he has made representations to the governments of Arab countries on this matter since 2005; and if he will make a statement. [R]

Ivan Lewis: We have not recently received specific reports of such allegations of vandalism by Palestinians in Gaza.

Pakistan: Religious Freedom

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what monitoring his Department has undertaken of  (a) compliance with international human rights standards and  (b) instances of religious persecution in Pakistan.

Ivan Lewis: We are encouraging human rights reform through our regular dialogue with the Government of Pakistan, both bilaterally and through the European Union. It is a vital part of our commitment to support the Government of Pakistan in building a prosperous and stable society based on parliamentary democracy and the rule of law.
	Along with our EU colleagues, we regularly raise our concerns with the Government of Pakistan over the situation of human rights and religious minorities. The most recent EU demarche called upon the government of Pakistan to promote religious tolerance, to protect freedom of expression and to reform discriminatory legislation such as the blasphemy laws.

Syria

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  whether he has made an assessment of the conditions in which Kamal al-Labwani is being detained in Syria; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether he has received reports on the disappearance of human rights lawyer Haythem al-Maleh in Syria on 17 October 2009; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what recent assessment he has made of Syria's record on human rights, with particular reference to  (a) civil and  (b) political rights; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what recent reports he has received on  (a) numbers of people detained by the Syrian government and  (b) compliance by the Syrian government with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in respect of such people;
	(5)  what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the EU-Syria Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreement in relation to Syria's human rights record; and if he will make a statement;
	(6)  by what mechanisms the EU-Syria Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreement may be suspended in circumstances in which human rights violations are identified.

David Miliband: Syria's human rights record is a cause for concern. In the past year we have seen a worrying deterioration. Critics of the Government, including those who call for peaceful democratic reform, and some individuals who have posted dissenting comments on internet blogs, have been imprisoned. Disappearances, travel bans and arbitrary detention are increasingly common. There are reports of torture during interrogation and deaths in police custody. We do not know how many people are in detention but we continue to press Syria to abide by its international obligations on human rights.
	I share the hon. Member's concern about the continued imprisonment of Dr. Labwani. He is currently held in Adra prison in Damascus in the same conditions as other prisoners, which are poor and involve sharing a cell. Dr. al-Labwani also suffers from serious medical condition which, given his medical expertise, he is reportedly treating himself having managed to obtain the necessary medication.
	I am also concerned at the recent arrest of lawyer Haythem al-Maleh and, as we made clear in a Foreign and Commonwealth Office press statement on 19 October 2009, we call on the Syrian Government to release him.
	I have raised my concerns with the Syrian Foreign Minister. Our embassy in Damascus, working with other EU missions, continues to press the Syrians to improve conditions in general as well as raising the cases of Dr. al-Labwani, Mr. al-Maleh and others of concern.
	When the EU-Syria Association Agreement is in force, we will ensure that we use the dialogue established to press for action. Respect for human rights is an essential element of the agreement. The agreement provides that where a party considers that the other party is in breach of it obligations under the agreement it may take appropriate measures which could include suspension or termination of the Association Agreement.

Turks and Caicos Islands

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for how many advisers to the Turks and Caicos Islands his Department provides funding; what the cost to the public purse is of the annual salaries of such advisers; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Bryant: The number of UK funded advisers in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) is not constant. At present, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is funding four advisers to provide advice in TCI solely for that Territory. One is on loan from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. The others visit TCI for short periods, and are not therefore paid an annual salary. The FCO also funds advisers to provide advice to the UK's Caribbean Overseas Territories and Bermuda, who visit TCI regularly but are based elsewhere in the region or in the UK.

USA: Terrorism

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department has received from the US administration in respect of the coroner's reports on the British citizens killed in the 11 September 2001 attacks in the United States; and whether he has received any representations from the families of British victims of the attacks in respect of the circumstances that caused their death.

Ivan Lewis: The US coroner/authorities were unable to perform autopsies as in the majority of the cases very little or none of the victim's remains were recovered. Where identifiable remains were recovered, the cause of death was recorded on the death certificate as blunt trauma. If no remains were found, the cause of death was recorded as physical injuries (body not found). If remains were found at a later date, the cause of death would be amended to blunt trauma.
	We have not received any representations from the families of British victims about the circumstances that caused their death.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Apprentices

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many apprentices did not obtain work-based placements during the academic year 2008-09.

Kevin Brennan: Work experience is an important aspect of all apprenticeships. The Government do not collect data at a national level about apprentices who have not been successful in gaining a work placement.

Broadband

Tim Farron: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) rural and  (b) non-rural households that do not have access to broadband.

Stephen Timms: The matter raised is the responsibility of the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Accordingly, I have asked the chief executive of Ofcom to reply directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the chief executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Business: South West

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many businesses in each location in the South West have received assistance from the South West Regional Development Agency's small business loan fund; and how much on average each such business received.

Rosie Winterton: South West RDA facilitated the formation of the South West Loans Fund which is funded jointly by South West RDA and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) monies. In the first six months of operation, nine businesses have received assistance (three in Cornwall; two in Devon; two in Somerset; one in Wiltshire and one in Bristol). The average level of grant provided is £107,089. A further five offers of finance are in place with an average value of £84,000.
	The fund provides loans to growth or growth potential businesses in the South West which have viable business proposals but who are unable to secure all the finance they need from traditional commercial finance sources.

Construction: Government Assistance

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what financial support the Government have offered to the construction industry during the current economic downturn; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent assessment he has made of the contribution of the construction industry to the economy; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what steps the Government are taking to support the construction industry; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Lucas: The Government recognise the importance of the Construction Industry to the economy. In 2007 the construction industry, including contracting, products and services, accounted for 9 per cent. of GVA. Construction contracting by itself contributed 6 per cent. of GVA. These figures are based on the Annual Business inquiry published by ONS in June 2009, which are the latest data source the Department has at hand. The public sector is especially important to the construction industry. Some 30 per cent. of all construction work is procured by the public sector, rising to 40 per cent. if PFI projects are included.
	In order to help preserve jobs and skills, at the time of the 2008 pre-Budget report the Government announced that it was bringing forward £3 billion of capital expenditure from financial year 2010-11 to financial years 2008-09 and 2009-10, to be spent on motorways, schools, GPs' surgeries, flood defences and improving the energy efficiency of the existing housing stock.
	In addition, in the Budget the Chancellor announced a £600 million cash injection for the housing market to help kick-start stalled projects and to build more energy efficient homes, including £50 million to modernise armed forces' accommodation.
	The Construction Industry like other sectors has benefited from the Government's recapitalisation of the banks and the restoration of stability to the financial sector. The UK is the first country in the world to have negotiated legally binding lending commitments with banks receiving state support, and both RBS and the Lloyd's Banking Group have committed to additional net lending over the next 12 months.
	The Construction Industry is dominated by Small and Medium Sized Enterprises. Like other sectors of the economy, the industry has benefited from the Government's Real Help for Business Now initiative, including:
	The Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme: enabling banks to lend an extra £1.3 billion to small and medium-sized businesses with viable business plans that can not access normal commercial lending;
	Extra lending capacity: made available through the European Investment Bank;
	The Working Capital Scheme: provides guarantees to banks for existing business lending, so freeing up more capital for new loans;
	Up to six months' Trade Credit Insurance Top-Up, backed by the Government and available for businesses where cover has been reduced due to the recession.
	The Government would shortly appoint a Chief Construction Adviser to lead the low carbon review of the Construction Industry to ensure the industry is fit for purpose for delivering a low carbon future. The Chief Construction Adviser will also chair a new Construction Category Board, which will build on the work of the existing Public Sector Construction Clients Forum, to oversee the implementation and further the development of best value in Government construction procurement.

Departmental Information and Communications Technology

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills with which organisations his Department and its predecessors have had exclusivity agreements relating to information technology  (a) hardware and  (b) software in each of the last five years.

Stephen Timms: While the Department's main IT infrastructure services are provided through agreements with Fujitsu Services, covering desktop services, web infrastructure services, and document management, these agreements are not exclusive. The Department also has in place alternative framework contracts with a number of other IT suppliers (following competitive tendering) and also has access to a number of OGC framework contracts should specific and specialised services be required.

Departmental Internet

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 26 October 2009,  Official Report, column 116W, on departmental internet, what Twitter accounts are maintained by his Department; and what estimate he has made of the cost of maintaining and updating each such account in 2009-10.

Patrick McFadden: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills manages three Twitter accounts: @bisgovuk; @digitalbritain; and @BIS_Science
	The estimated cost of staff time in maintaining and updating all three accounts is £3,175 a year. The task is the shared responsibility of the Department's Digital Communications team as part of their overall range of duties and the total effort is estimated as half an hour per day. No staff are assigned to Twitter work specifically.

Departmental Responsibilities

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 12 October 2009,  Official Report, column 650W, on ministerial responsibility, how many hours per week and what proportion of his working time the Minister for Digital Britain spent discharging his ministerial duties as Minister for Digital Britain.

Stephen Timms: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 October 2009,  Official Report, column 650W.

East of England Development Agency: Consultants

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the answer of 1 May 2008,  Official Report, column 574W, on the East of England Development Agency: Fishburn Hedges, how much the East of England Development Agency has paid to external public relations, public affairs and marketing agencies in each year since its establishment; to which firms such payments were made; for what services each such payment was made; and what the value was of each such payment.

Rosie Winterton: The following table gives a full breakdown of payments to external public relations, marketing and public affairs agencies made since 2002.(1)
	EEDA has an in-house team that manage the corporate communications of EEDA. However, we do use agencies to provide support across EEDA's wide range of activities and services on a project basis. This is to help publicise EEDA's full range of support services to businesses in the region, support major campaigns to promote services and products and assist in production of key publications including the Regional Economic Strategy (RES). The majority of the agencies used provide marketing support.
	(1) 2002 is the earliest we are able to provide a fall breakdown from. Please note, these figures have been extracted from financial records and are excluding VAT.
	
		
			  Supplier name  2002 / 03 (£)  2003 / 04 (£)  2004 / 05 (£)  2005 / 06 (£)  2006 / 07 (£)  2007 / 08 (£)  2008 / 09 (£)  Service 
			 Band  Brown (formerly Barker Johnson Peal) 17,400 7,050 39,235 26,164 734 - - Marketing support for EEDA's business support campaigns and regional promotion. 
			 Black Orchid Marketing Ltd. - - - - 15,265 - - Marketing support for major business event. 
			 Camargue - - 12,604 43,849 - - - Marketing support for business support campaign 
			 Communications Management - - - - 87,574 200,583 323,828 Marketing support for development of major business campaigns including TakeITon - an IT support campaign, Business finance products including Grants for Research and Development and other business support products 
			 Different Advertising Ltd. 196,525 88,615 - - - - - Marketing support for regional advertising campaign 
			 Direct Approach Design  Marke 10,545 - - 280 - - - Marketing support for EEDA publications including annual reports 
			 Fishburn Hedges - - 30,107 110,511 224,818 61,153 66,444 Public affairs and project specific marketing support including major business support event 
			 Flag Communication Ltd. - - - - 8,285 10,765  Marketing and writing support for EEDA publications 
			 IF Communications - - - - - - 10,000 Marketing support for business support campaign 
			 John Turner Direct Marketing - 70 133 14,631 16,832 25,943 24,320 Marketing support for mailings to businesses and public partners 
			 Lillian May Design - - - 27,237 43,485 4,570  Marketing support for EEDA publications 
			 Linstock Communications Ltd. - - - 47,822 105,614 156,965 60,224 Marketing support for EEDA's spatial economy programme including transport and regional cities east 
			 Markettiers 4DC - - - - - 9,075 - Marketing support for Running the Gauntlet business campaign 
			 Media Communications - - - - 10,609 6,294 9,501 Marketing support for EEDA publications, business support and carbon cutting campaign 
			 Media Matters 23,288 100 - - - - - Marketing support 
			 Milk no Sugar - 2,750 - - - - - Regional marketing support 
			 Mission 21 - 30,228 - - - - - PR support for regional ideas campaign 
			 Nexus - - 37,599 - - - - Marketing support 
			 Omobono Ltd. 288,201 301,849 339,778 188,000 - 903 1,242 Marketing support for various business support campaigns, including Demand Broadband 
			 Poulsen Selleck - - - - - 6,795 108,433 Marketing support for production of RES, Insight East intelligence centre and Business Map campaign to help simplify business support 
			 Project PR - 32,186 1,900 - - - - PR and media relations support 
			 Proof Communications - - - - - - 3,147 Writing support for EEDA website 
			 Red Hat Creative Limited - - - - 20,738 44,564 20,570 Writing support for business campaigns 
			 Sherry Design Limited - - - 8,094 6,041 - - Marketing support for Regional Cities East 
			 Shorthose Russell - - - 72,402 49,679 41,094 - Marketing support for promotion of EU funding opportunities 
			 Smith UK Ltd. - - - - - 24,479 9,498 Marketing support for production of the RES and annual report 
			 Taylor-made Communications - - - - 20,000 40,150 4,800 Writing support 
			 WAR - - 11,500 - - - - Marketing support for international business services 
			 Total 535,958 462,848 472,124 555,979 535,958 780,475 642,007  
			 Grand total 3,985,349.66

Fireworks

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what legislation regulates the sale of fireworks over the internet; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The same legislation applies to internet sales as applies to retail sales. Companies selling fireworks over the internet either deliver to a pick-up point, or to the buyer by special carrier; they are not allowed to deliver through the Royal Mail.

Further Education: Finance

Stephen Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much of the adult further education budget managed by the Learning and Skills Council in 2009-10 is planned to be allocated to  (a) adult Level 2 and adult first Level 2 courses,  (b) adult first Level 2 and adult first Level 3 courses,  (c) adult Level 2 and adult first Level 2 courses for 19 to 24 year olds and  (d) adult Level 3 and adult first Level 3 courses for 19 to 24 year olds.

Kevin Brennan: The Learning and Skills Council Grant Letter 2009-10 sent in November 2008 sets out planned expenditure across our funding priorities based on estimated volumes of activity.
	A copy of this letter is available publicly at the following address:
	http://www.dius.gov.uk/news_and_speeches/press_releases/~/media/publications/L/LSC_GRANT_LETTER_ FINAL_18_NOV
	Estimated spend for all adults in 2009-10, through the Adult Learner Responsive (ALR) budget is £259 million for full level 2 qualifications and £379 million for full level 3 qualifications.
	Within the ALR budget we provide full funding for adults to gain their first full level 2 and full level 3 (for those aged 19 to 25 years) qualification so that they do not have to pay course fees.
	The actual amount spent at each level and on particular age groups will depend on learner and throughout the year.

Higher Education

Nigel Evans: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of  (a) the greatest,  (b) the lowest and  (c) the average number of hours spent by an undergraduate in contact with teaching staff at institutions of tertiary education in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many hours of contact time with education staff his Department uses to define full-time study in institutions of tertiary education;
	(3)  what criteria institutions of tertiary education use to define student-faculty contact time.

David Lammy: Full-time higher education is not defined in terms of hours of contact time between students and academic staff and no information is held centrally on contact hours for higher education courses.
	It is for higher education institutions (HEIs) as autonomous organisations to define the amount of student contact time with teaching staff, including lectures, group or individual tuition, online or distance learning; and other planned discussion time about academic work.
	Contact time will also vary depending on the subject, course content and nature of delivery.
	As we set out in the HE Framework, Higher Ambitions, published on 3 November, the Government expect HEIs to make transparent information available for students, so they have a better understanding of what to expect before they choose a course. This information should include the number and nature of the contact hours they should have for each course, the amount of personal learning which will be required, and the academic support which will be available from staff.

Higher Education: Historic Buildings

Frank Field: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills which universities received Higher Education Funding Council for England funds to support old and historic buildings as a fixed targeted allocation in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: The institutions eligible for this funding stream in 2009/10 are:
	Anglia Ruskin University
	Aston University
	Bath Spa University
	University of Bedfordshire
	Birkbeck College
	University of Birmingham
	Birmingham City University
	Bishop Grosseteste University College, Lincoln
	University of Bolton
	University of Bradford
	University of Brighton
	University of Bristol
	Brunei University
	Buckinghamshire New University
	University of Cambridge
	Institute of Cancer Research
	Canterbury Christ Church University
	University of Central Lancashire
	Central School of Speech and Drama
	University of Chester
	University of Chichester
	City University, London
	University of Cumbria
	De Montfort University
	University of Derby
	University of Durham
	University of Salford
	University of Sheffield
	Sheffield Hallam University
	University of Southampton
	Southampton Solent University
	University of Sunderland
	University of Surrey
	University of Teesside
	Thames Valley University
	Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
	University College London
	University of Warwick
	University of West of England, Bristol
	University of Westminster
	University of Winchester
	University of Wolverhampton
	Writtle College
	University of York
	York St. John University.

Higher Education: Intellectual Property

Ben Wallace: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent research his Department has undertaken into assistance given to universities in exploiting intellectual property.

David Lammy: In the year since my hon. Friend last asked me this question, I am pleased to say that the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and its predecessor have published Professor Paul Wellings' report on Intellectual Property and Research Benefits, and HEFCE have released an independent Evaluation of the Effectiveness and Role of Third Stream Funding. A report on Metrics for the Evaluation of Knowledge Transfer Activities at Universities, funded by HEFCE and the Research Councils, has been published by Library House. The Higher Education Business Community Interaction Survey for 2007-08 was released in July 2009 showing a continued increase in income from IP. This has been supported in England by the Higher Education Innovation Fund.

Higher Education: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people aged  (a) 21 years and under and  (b) over 21 years old in each socio-economic group resident in (i) Peterborough constituency and (ii) Peterborough City Council area attended university in each of the last five years.

David Lammy: The latest available information from the Higher Education Statistics Agency is shown in tables 1 and 2.
	The figures are for full-time undergraduate entrants as socio-economic class information is not available for part-time higher education students. Figures are provided for entrants aged under 21, and 21 and over, as socio-economic class data has a different basis for these two distinct age groups. Socio-economic class is based on occupation information: those aged under 21 provide their parent's occupation, and those aged 21 and over provide their own occupation.
	Figures for the 2008/09 academic year will be available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency in January 2010.
	
		
			  Table 1: Full-time undergraduate entrants from Peterborough parliamentary constituency( 1) , by age and socio-economic classification( 2) , UK higher education institutions( 3) , academic years 2003/04 to 2007/08 
			  Socio-economic classification  2003/04  2004/05  2005/06  2006/07  2007/08 
			   21  21+  21  21+  21  21+  21  21+  21  21+ 
			 Higher managerial and professional occupations 65 5 60 5 50 0 50 5 50 5 
			 Lower managerial and professional occupations 75 5 65 5 95 10 80 5 85 5 
			 Intermediate occupations 40 10 40 10 55 5 50 5 40 10 
			 Small employers and own account workers 15 0 25 0 20 0 20 0 35 5 
			 Lower supervisory and technical occupations 25 0 10 0 10 0 15 0 20 0 
			 Semi-routine occupations 40 5 40 10 55 5 50 5 30 10 
			 Routine occupations 25 0 20 5 15 0 25 0 15 5 
			 Total 280 25 255 35 295 30 285 25 270 45 
			 Missing(4) 80 70 85 65 75 60 85 45 105 65 
			 (1) The table does not include entrants where the constituency of the student cannot be established due to missing or invalid information. (2 )This field collects the socio-economic classification of students participating in HE if 21 or over at the start of their course or parental classification if under 21. (3 )Figures exclude the Open university due to inconsistencies in their coding of entrants across the time series. (4 )Covers students whose socio-economic classification was missing, not classified or 'Never worked and long-term unemployed'.  Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded up or down to the nearest five, therefore components may not sum to totals.  Source:  Higher Education Statistics Agency. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Full-time undergraduate entrants from Peterborough local authority(1), by age and socio-economic classification(2), UK higher education institutions(3), academic years 2003/04 to 2007/08 
			  Socio-economic classification  2003/04  2004/05  2005/06  2006/07  2007/08 
			   21  21+  21  21+  21  21+  21  21+  21  21+ 
			 Higher managerial and professional occupations 125 10 100 5 110 0 100 5 115 5 
			 Lower managerial and professional occupations 130 10 120 10 165 15 140 10 155 10 
			 Intermediate occupations 70 10 60 15 85 15 65 10 80 20 
			 Small employers and own account workers 30 0 35 0 30 0 35 0 45 5 
			 Lower supervisory and technical occupations 30 0 20 5 20 0 30 5 30 5 
			 Semi-routine occupations 55 10 65 10 75 20 65 15 50 20 
			 Routine occupations 30 0 20 5 20 5 30 5 20 5 
			 Total 465 45 415 55 505 55 470 45 500 70 
			 Missing(4) 120 120 125 115 120 105 135 90 180 120 
			 (1) The table does not include entrants where the constituency of the student cannot be established due to missing or invalid information. (2 )This field collects the socio-economic classification of students participating in HE if 21 or over at the start of their course or parental classification if under 21. (3 )Figures exclude the Open university due to inconsistencies in their coding of entrants across the time series. (4 )Covers students whose socio-economic classification was missing, not classified or 'Never worked and long-term unemployed'.  Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded up or down to the nearest five, therefore components may not sum to totals.  Source:  Higher Education Statistics Agency.

Learning and Skills Council for England: Correspondence

Mark Oaten: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 21 October 2009,  Official Report, column 1523W, on further education: Hampshire, if he will ensure that copies of letters from the Learning and Skills Council responding to Parliamentary Questions are always sent to the  Official Report for publication.

Kevin Brennan: I can confirm that letters from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) responding to parliamentary questions should always be placed promptly in the House of Commons Library. Due to an administrative error the answer to which the hon. Member refers was placed in the House of Commons Library on 3 November 2009. I have asked the LSC to review its procedures to prevent a recurrence.

Post Offices: Public Consultation

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the timetable of the new proposed consultation on the future provision of services by the Post Office will be.

Patrick McFadden: We are aiming to launch this consultation in late November/early December. This will be a full 12-week consultation.

Research: Energy

Andrew Smith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding from the public purse has been allocated to research into fusion energy in each of the last five years; and how much funding he plans to allocate for such purposes in each of the next five years.

David Lammy: The Government provide support for nuclear fusion research in the UK through the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The EPSRC funding for fusion research over the last five years was:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2004/05 19.4 
			 2005/06 17.3 
			 2006/07 22.3 
			 2007/08 21.7 
			 2008/09 32.6 
		
	
	Funding in 2009/10 is expected to total about £25 million. Funding for subsequent years will depend on the outcome of spending reviews and the quality of science case proposals.
	Euratom also fund fusion research in the UK through the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. The UK also contributes indirectly to the Euratom European fusion research programme through its payments to the EU budget.

Royal Mail: Pay

Colin Burgon: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what criteria were applied to the award of a bonus to the Chief Executive of Royal Mail in 2008.

Patrick McFadden: The criteria for the bonus award to the chief executive of Royal Mail in 2008/09 were profit and service quality.

Royal Mail: Pay

Colin Burgon: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average bonus paid to Royal Mail staff at the lowest grade was in 2008.

Patrick McFadden: Under Royal Mail's Colleague Share scheme, each Royal Mail staff member received a stakeholder dividend payment of £400 in 2008/09. The total cost of payments under the scheme was £70 million.
	Royal Mail staff were also eligible to receive local productivity bonuses. My Department does not hold this information and I have therefore asked the chief executive of Royal Mail, Adam Crozier, to reply to you direct. A copy of the response will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Students: Grants

David Evennett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students have received provisional payments in advance of full student support payments from Student Finance England in  (a) the 2009/10 academic year and  (b) each of the five previous years.

David Lammy: The Student Loans Company has released figures to show the levels of processing and payment of Student Support in England for the 2009/10 academic year. The information is available on the Student Loans Company website and includes information on applications approved with interim assessment.
	The figures for new and returning students in this category stand at 35,000 as at 25 October 2009.
	Some changes to the way applications are processed have been introduced for the 2009/10 application processing cycle which means there are no comparable data for the previous five years.

Students: Loans

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people in each age group resident in  (a) each local authority area in the North West and  (b) England had not repaid their student loan at the latest date for which figures are available.

David Lammy: Borrowers become liable to repay their loans in the April after they leave their course (the statutory repayment due date, SRDD). After that date those with earnings of over £15,000 will repay, usually by deductions from salary. Those liable to repay who have not yet made a repayment will include borrowers whose earnings are below the repayment threshold, have gone on to further study or are doing voluntary work.
	The tables cover income contingent loan borrowers past SRDD with a known repayment or non-repayment position by whether or not they have made a repayment.
	Tables containing the requested information have been placed in the Library.

Students: Loans

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much has been deducted in student loan repayments from the salaries of individuals in each income group resident in  (a) each local authority area in the North West and  (b) England in each of the last five years.

David Lammy: Deductions from salaries are made when the borrower's income is above £15,000 per year, £1,250 per month or £288 per week. A borrower who starts work late in the tax year on an annual salary above £15,000 will have deductions made but may have earnings during the tax year of less than £15,000.
	Tables containing the requested information have been placed in the Library.

Train to Gain Programme

Stephen Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much of the Train to Gain budget managed by the Learning and Skills Council in 2009-10 is planned to be allocated to  (a) adult Level 2 and adult first Level 2 courses,  (b) adult first Level 2 and adult first Level 3 courses,  (c) adult Level 2 and adult first Level 2 courses for 19 to 24 year olds and  (d) adult Level 3 and adult first Level 3 courses for 19 to 24 year olds.

Kevin Brennan: The Grant Letter to the Learning and Skills Council for 2009-10 sent in November 2008 sets out planned expenditure across our funding priorities based on estimated volumes of activity.
	A copy of this letter is available publicly at the following address:
	http://www.dius.gov.uk/news_and_speeches/press_releases/~/media/publications/L/LSC_GRANT_LETTER_FINAL_19-NOV
	Estimated spend for all adults in 2009-10 through Train to Gain is £626 million on full level 2 and £161 million on full level 3 qualifications. Funding through Train to Gain is prioritised on supporting adults in employment to gain basic literacy and numeracy skills, full level 2 and full level 3 qualifications. For 2009-10 in response to the economic downturn we have provided increased flexibilities for small and medium sized enterprises to support retraining through access to funding for units and part qualifications in areas described as business critical by Sector Skills Councils.
	The actual amount spent at each level and on particular age groups will depend on learner and employer demand throughout the year.

Vocational Training: Finance

David Taylor: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of guidance issued by the Learning and Skills Council to participants in the Train to Gain scheme enquiring about their use of funds for the 2009-10 contract; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 16 September 2009
	 The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is responsible for issuing national funding guidance to providers for each academic year, setting out the rules and principles for funding through Train to Gain. Guidance for 2009/10 was issued on 23 January, and is regularly updated. The latest version is available on the LSC website.
	Geoff Russell, the chief executive of the LSC, sent letters to all Train to Gain-contracted providers on 19 June, informing them of their funding and contract arrangements for the 2009/10 academic year. Since then, regional and local LSC partnership teams have been working closely with individual providers to finalise their contract documentation, including maximum contract values.
	In addition, the LSC publishes regular guidance to employers and learners who access Train to Gain, including information on new flexibilities, funding that may be available and where to go for further information. This guidance is also available on the LSC website.

Work Experience

Greg Hands: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what his Department's definition is of a skilled internship; how many skilled internships his Department plans to create by  (a) 2010,  (b) 2011,  (c) 2012,  (d) 2013,  (e) 2014 and  (f) 2015; how long each skilled internship will last; and whether people on a skilled internship will be paid.

David Lammy: By March 2010, 20,000 graduate internships overall will have been created in the private, public and third sectors to help young people develop the skills they need to improve their employability. There will be different models for these internships. Of these, up to 10,000 will be delivered in collaboration with the Federation of Small Businesses as part of Backing Young Britain. These will last for 13 weeks and will be paid. There are no targets for the following years.